DEA Archived Press Releases

Press Releases before January 20, 2025
144 Results - Showing 91 to 100
PRESS RELEASE

Two Men Plead Guilty in Retaliatory Drug Murder in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS – Two men from St. Louis County pleaded guilty Monday and admitted their involvement in a retaliatory murder in 2020. Cevone Weeden, 26, pleaded guilty Monday in front of U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White to two counts: conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute controlled...
PRESS RELEASE

Lead Defendant Pleads Guilty in Waycross-Area Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

WAYCROSS, Ga. – The lead defendant in a Waycross-area fentanyl and heroin trafficking operation has now pled guilty, joining the other five defendants who admitted their roles in the conspiracy. Eric Lashawn Hayes, a/k/a “Pee Wee,” 28, of Blackshear, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm...
PRESS RELEASE

Leader of International Drug Trafficking Organization and His Trusted Lieutenant Plead Guilty to Federal Charges

SEATTLE – A top leader of a violent international drug trafficking organization that distributed heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine in the Puget Sound region, pleaded guilty this week in U.S. District Court in Seattle. Luis Arturo Magana-Ramirez, 34, of Fife, Washington, faces a mandatory minimum ten years in prison and up...
PRESS RELEASE

Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty To Narcotics Conspiracy

BUFFALO, NY - United States Attorney for the Western District of New York Trini E. Ross announced today that Steven Gonzalez aka Steven Hernandez, aka Steve, aka Stevie, aka Unc, 46, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Richard J. Arcara to narcotics conspiracy. The charge carries...
PRESS RELEASE

San Diego Resident Pleads Guilty to Distributing Fentanyl that Resulted in 15-Year-Old’s Death

SAN DIEGO – Kaylar Junior Tawan Beltranlap of San Diego pleaded guilty today to distributing a fake pill containing fentanyl that killed a 15-year-old Coronado High School sophomore, referred to in court records as C.J.S., on May 12, 2021. During the change of plea hearing, Beltranlap admitted to utilizing his...
PRESS RELEASE

Idaho Man Sentenced to 48 Months for Distributing Fentanyl

BOISE, Idaho – On Friday, July 1, 2022, Dakota James Hoffman, 29, of Bellevue, Idaho, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced. According to court records, Hoffman distributed oxycodone pills to a man with the initials A.K. who overdosed on...
PRESS RELEASE

Leader of Multi-State Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking, Firearms Possession, and Money Laundering Charges

SEATTLE – The Arlington, Washington based leader of a prolific and violent drug trafficking ring pleaded guilty this week to federal drug, gun, and money laundering crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Cesar Valdez-Sanudo, 36, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and carrying...
PRESS RELEASE

Defendant Pleads Guilty in Fentanyl Overdose Case

SAN DIEGO – Cole Thomas Salazar pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he supplied a fatal dose of fentanyl that resulted in the death of a 24-year-old woman who was found inside her Vista apartment on November 3, 2020. According to his plea agreement, Salazar used an online...
PRESS RELEASE

SnapChat Sale of Fentanyl-Laced Pills Leads to Teenage Overdose Death and Guilty Plea

HARRISONBURG, Va. – Abdallah Amer Ali, 21, of Harrisonburg, sold a fatal dose of fentanyl to a 16-year-old in Harrisonburg and pled guilty to one count of distributing a measurable quantity of fentanyl which resulted in death. “With overdose deaths on a rampant rise across the country, we often focus...
PRESS RELEASE

Two Women Admit to Smuggling Over $2M in Fentanyl and Other Narcotics

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Two Houston women have admitted to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin and cocaine, announced Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux, Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery. Today, Clarissa Hernandez, 23, admitted to her role in...