United States Drug Enforcement Administration

SAN DIEGO - Physician Naga Raja Thota, a pain specialist with an office in El Cajon, pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday, admitting that he fraudulently and illegally wrote prescriptions for hundreds of oxycodone and hydrocodone tablets for patients with no medical necessity, one of whom was a sex partner...

SAN DIEGO - Roberto Ponce-Rocha was extradited from Colombia on November 17, 2016, where he had been arrested for charges arising out of his leadership role in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving the transportation of large-scale quantities of cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine into the United States. As part of the...

SAN DIEGO - The final tally is in from the 12th National Prescription Take-Back Day which took place Saturday, October 22, and DEA and its partners took back nearly 8,000 pounds of prescription drugs at 39 locations in San Diego County and four in Imperial County. Over the course of...

CHICAGO - Federal charges unsealed today accused 24 individuals of various drug offenses for allegedly using Amtrak trains to transport heroin and cocaine to Chicago from California. One of the defendants is an Amtrak employee who allegedly stole a package of cocaine upon arrival at Chicago’s Union Station. Authorities uncovered...

CHICAGO - A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted a Morris man on attempted murder charges for allegedly trying to kill two DEA Task Force officers during an undercover drug sting in Joliet, IL. Adan Godinez, 31, of Morris, tried to kill the officers during an undercover operation in...

SAN DIEGO - America is presently experiencing an epidemic of addiction, overdose and death due to abuse of prescription drugs, particularly opioid painkillers. 6.4 million Americans age 12 and over-2.4 percent of the population-abuse prescription drugs, according to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health released last month...

CHICAGO - Aaron Moore, 28, of Chicago, IL was arrested in Chicago by agents from the DEA and members of the Oak Park Police Department. He was charged by the Kane County State’s Attorney Office with drug induced homicide for his role in the overdose death of Richard Gregoire. Richard...

SAN DIEGO - Physician Naga Raja Thota, a pain specialist with an office in El Cajon, was arrested this morning and charged with distributing oxycodone and other highly addictive drugs without any legitimate medical purpose in exchange for sex acts. The doctor was taken into custody by San Diego Drug...

MILWAUKEE - Operation “Smack” down, begun in March and led by the Drug Enforcement (DEA) in partnership with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies targeted violent drug traffickers and gang members in an effort to reduce the availability of heroin, or “smack,” and prescription opiates. Sales of these drugs...

SAN DIEGO & IMPERIAL, Calif. - The final tally is in from the 11th National Prescription Take-Back Day this past Saturday, April 30, 2016. DEA and its partners took back prescription drugs at 43 locations in San Diego County and three locations in Imperial County. Over the course of four...