DEA Archived Press Releases

Press Releases before January 20, 2025
35 Results - Showing 11 to 20
PRESS RELEASE

Grand Jury Indicts St. Louis Man and Others in International Drug Ring

ST. LOUIS – A federal grand jury indicted Derek Rockette of St. Louis for charges that include conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. The indictment also alleges in a money laundering conspiracy charge that Rockette, Norma Corina Armenta-Lizarraga, Jian Zhong Fang, Yuede...
PRESS RELEASE

Honduran National Charged with Transnational Cocaine Trafficking and Money Laundering Extradited to the United States

MIAMI – Fredy Donaldo Marmol Vallejo (Marmol), 40, will make his initial appearance in federal court in Miami, Florida today after being extradited from Honduras, his country of origin. An indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida charges Marmol with conspiring to traffic narcotics...
PRESS RELEASE

Two Mexican Cartel Members Found Guilty of Violating RICO Statute

EL PASO – A federal jury convicted two Sinaloa Cartel members on Friday for their roles in the Sinaloa Cartel’s narcotics distribution operations. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Arturo Shows Urquidi, aka “Chous,” 50, of Juarez, Mexico and Mario Iglesias-Villegas, aka “Dos,” “El 2,” “Delta,” “Parka,”...
PRESS RELEASE

South Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Methamphetamine, International Money Laundering, Gun Charges

ABINGDON, Va. – A Greenville, South Carolina man, who formerly resided in Bristol, Virginia, pleaded guilty last week to distributing methamphetamine, international money laundering, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and conspiring to obstruct justice. According to court documents, Joshua Desorcy, 36, was directly responsible for...
PRESS RELEASE

Two Passaic County Men Plead Guilty to Illegal Money Transmitting Scheme

NEWARK, N.J. – Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division Susan A. Gibson and Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Rachael A. Honig announced two Passaic County men admitted their roles in an illegal money transmitting business. Erickson Checo-Almonte, 31 of Passaic...
PRESS RELEASE

Reward for Information to Bring Colombian Money Launderer to Justice

MIAMI - The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Department of State today announced a new reward for information that will lead to the location, arrest, and/or conviction of Colombian national Alvaro Pulido Vargas. A reward of up to $10 million dollars is being offered through the U.S...
PRESS RELEASE

Five Individuals Charged with Money Laundering in Connection with Alleged Venezuela Bribery Scheme

MIAMI– A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida returned an indictment on Oct. 7, 2021, which was unsealed today, charging three Colombian nationals and two Venezuelan nationals for their alleged roles in laundering the proceeds of contracts to provide food and medicine to Venezuela that were obtained...
PRESS RELEASE

Colombian Businessman Charged with Money Laundering Extradited to the United States from Cabo Verde

Miami, Florida – Alex Nain Saab Moran (Saab), 49, a Colombian citizen, will make his initial appearance in federal court in Miami, Florida, today after being extradited from the Republic of Cabo Verde. Saab is charged in an indictment with laundering the proceeds of violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices...
PRESS RELEASE

25th Operation High Tide Defendant Sentenced for Drug and Gun Crimes

NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth man, who was the 25th defendant associated with Operation High Tide, was sentenced today for his role in trafficking firearms and selling heroin. According to court documents, in 2017, Shon E. Melton, 32, of Portsmouth, was attributed with trafficking 19 firearms, including a concealable short...
PRESS RELEASE

Laurel Narcotics Trafficker Pleads Guilty to Bringing Large Quantities of Fentanyl, Cocaine and Other Drugs from California to Maryland

Baltimore, Md., – Michael Fisher, a.k.a. Mark Wilson, age 47, of Laurel, Maryland, pleaded guilty on September 24, 2021, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana and distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The guilty plea was announced by Jarod Forget...