United States Drug Enforcement Administration

SEATTLE – DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day brought in nearly a million pounds of unused, expired, and unwanted medications across the country, the largest amount ever collected in the program’s ten years. Americans once again showed their dedication to remove prescription pills from their homes to prevent addiction...

PORTLAND, Ore. - Members of a major international drug trafficking organization, including one of its ringleaders and sources of supply from Mexico, have been charged with distributing methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl into Oregon between 2018 and 2020. A federal grand jury in Eugene has returned a one-count indictment charging Victor...

SEATTLE - Drug Enforcement Administration Acting Administrator Timothy J. Shea today announced that the DEA will direct resources to help reduce violent crime in communities throughout the country. Under this initiative, called Project Safeguard, DEA will identify and prioritize ongoing drug trafficking investigations with a nexus to violent crime. “D...

SPOKANE, Wash., - On October 21 - 22, 2020, United States Attorney William Hyslop and DEA Special Agent in Charge Keith Weis announced a coordinated Opioid Fentanyl Outreach initiative by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, community leaders, prevention specialists and school superintendents in Spokane and the Tri-Cities areas...

RICHLAND, Wash. - Sami Anwar, age 41, of Richland, Washington, was sentenced today by Senior District Judge Edward F. Shea to a 340-month term of imprisonment for falsifying human clinical research trials in connection with a fraud scheme directed by Mr. Anwar. After a three-week jury trial in Richland in...

EUGENE, Ore. - A Eugene Springfield Fire Department paramedic has been charged with illegally obtaining controlled substances from a local pharmacy and using them to drug and rape multiple female victims. Edward Augustus Blake, 44, a resident of Cheshire, Oregon, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with conspiring to...

PORTLAND, Ore. - A Medford Podiatrist pleaded guilty today for using fraud and deception to obtain controlled substances which he used to feed his personal addiction. Patrick T. Code, 60, pleaded guilty today to a one count information charging obtaining possession of a controlled substance through misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception...

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Several individuals have been arrested and charged in Anchorage, Alaska, for their alleged roles in a criminal enterprise involving narcotics distribution, money laundering, and gun violence in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. In a recently unsealed indictment, Jordan J. Shanholtzer, aka "Two-3," 33, formerly of Anchorage,; Matthew...

NEW ORLEANS – Today, Attorney General William P. Barr and Drug Enforcement Administration Acting Administrator Timothy J. Shea announced the results of Operation Crystal Shield, DEA’s six-month-long effort targeting the command and control elements of Mexican cartels that operate major methamphetamine “transportation hubs” in the United States. At a press...

PORTLAND, Ore. - A former nurse from Vancouver, Washington was sentenced to federal prison today for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances. Rene Elene Griffin Nunn, 60, was sentenced to eight months in prison and 3 years’ supervised release. At the time of the offense, Nunn...