DEA Archived Press Releases

Press Releases before January 20, 2025
78 Results - Showing 1 to 10
PRESS RELEASE

DEA Warns Healthcare Workers of Impersonation Scam Targeting Doctors and Pharmacists

NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is issuing a critical alert to healthcare professionals, warning of recent scam calls targeting doctors and pharmacists. Fraudsters are impersonating DEA agents to steal sensitive information and possibly extort money. Please know DEA personnel will never contact...
PRESS RELEASE

Dark Web Drug Vendor and Clandestine Lab Manufacturer Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking in Meth and Fentanyl

MIAMI – On May 17, an Orange County, California, resident, Tenzin Orgil, 24, was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison for participating in a drug trafficking enterprise that included the sale of methamphetamine and fentanyl on the dark web, as well as the manufacture of ecstasy (also known as...
PRESS RELEASE

Darknet Vendor Who Sold Millions of Fake Xanax Pills Sentenced

ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Wednesday sentenced a man who sold millions of counterfeit Xanax pills on the Darknet to two years in prison, fined him $10,000 and ordered him to forfeit nearly $1 million. Brandon Adams, 27, will also be on supervised release for...
PRESS RELEASE

Seattle Man Sentenced for Buying 630,000 Counterfeit Pills on the Dark Web

ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Court Judge Stephen R. Clark on Thursday sentenced a man who bought 630,000 counterfeit Xanax and other pills on the dark web to five years in prison and ordered him to pay a $10,000 fine. Maximillian Gregory Verbowski will also be on supervised release for...
PRESS RELEASE

Steven L. Hofer Named Special Agent in Charge of the New Orleans Field Division

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Anne Milgram has announced the appointment of Steven L. Hofer as the Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the New Orleans Field Division. SAC Hofer brings a wealth of experience and expertise to this role, having served in various leadership positions within the DEA and...
PRESS RELEASE

Dark Web Dealer of Meth, Heroin Heads to Prison

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for selling methamphetamine and heroin on the dark web. John M. LeCoque, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered LeCoque to...
PRESS RELEASE

Year in Review: DEA Innovates to Fight Fentanyl

WASHINGTON – In 2023, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration marked its 50th anniversary as the only federal agency dedicated to fighting deadly drugs and drug-related violence. This milestone celebrated a half century of dedication to fighting drug trafficking in the United States and around the world, which threatens the public...
PRESS RELEASE

Steven Bell Named DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge

OMAHA, Neb. – Steven T. Bell was named Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Omaha Division and began his time as the fourth director of the five-state territory, overseeing 11 offices in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota and eight counties along the...
PRESS RELEASE

Slovakian Man Accused of Running Darknet Market Selling Drugs and Personal Information

ST. LOUIS – A Slovakian man was indicted this week on charges that accuse him of running a darknet market that sold drugs and stolen personal information. Investigators have shut down the market. Alan Bill, 30, of Bratislava, was charged by complaint in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Dec...
PRESS RELEASE

DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Day Removes Almost 600,000 Pounds of Unneeded Prescription Medications Across the Country

On Oct. 28, 2023, the community once again emptied their medicine cabinets to help dispose of old, unwanted, and expired medications. Nationwide, DEA and its law enforcement partners collected 599,897 pounds of unneeded medications at 4,675 collection sites nationwide. Locally, the New Orleans Division collected 37,273 pounds between 287 number...