WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration commemorated the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks with a ceremony at DEA Headquarters honoring those killed that day and those who later died from 9/11-related illnesses. The ceremony also marked the opening of Never Forget: 25 Years After...

Pensacola, Fla. – Aubrey Darnell Joseph Sr., 36, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. "This trafficker got caught...

EL PASO - A Mexican national, Luis Carlos Davalos-Lopez, 29, pleaded guilty today in El Paso, Texas, to conspiracy to bring in aliens to the United States. According to court documents, Davalos-Lopez conspired with others to smuggle migrants through an underground tunnel from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, to El Paso, Texas...

Pensacola, Fla. – Andre Darrell Perry, 37, of Pensacola and Loredana Alessandra Bassolino, 38, of Navarre, Fla., pleaded guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and more than 5 grams of methamphetamine. Perry also pleaded guilty to additional charges of possession...

Tallahassee, Fla. – Fairley Trey Pitts, 35, of Perry, Fla., was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of...

NEWARK, N.J. - Special Agent in Charge of the DEA's New Jersey Field Division Towanda R. Thorne-James, New York City's Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, New Jersey State Police Acting Superintendent Jeanne Hengemuhle, and Port Authority...

Fort Myers, Florida – Miguel Lauzado Hernandez (37, Naples) has been sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for distribution of methamphetamine. Hernandez pleaded guilty on June 3, 2025. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, on September 12, 2024, Hernandez sold approximately one...

A Mexican national pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to manufacture and distribute fentanyl for importation into the United States, and conspiracy to distribute listed chemicals for the unlawful importation of a controlled substance. “For years, Ojeda Elenes manufactured and imported enormous quantities of fentanyl often using precursor chemicals obtained from...

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Argentina’s Ministry of National Security concluded the 40th annual International Drug Enforcement Conference (IDEC) last week, bringing together more than 500 senior drug enforcement officials and delegates from 110 countries to strengthen global cooperation in the fight against transnational drug...

MIAMI – Five defendants pleaded guilty to conspiring to import thousands of kilograms of cocaine into South Florida aboard sport fishing vessels from the Dominican Republic. According to court records, Andy Gabriel Mercedes-Hernandez, 32; Jesus Alberto Salcedo-Perez, 32; Keisy Estibet Peguero, 38; Enmanuel Amauris Rivera-Cabrera, 32; and Mario Joel Rijo-Jimenez...