SAN DIEGO – An indictment unsealed today charges Carlos Paez Pereda, aka “Carlitos,” aka “Carlitos Rugrats,” alleged high-ranking lieutenant and leader of a violent wing of the Sinaloa Cartel called “Los Rugrats,” with Narcoterrorism and Material Support of Terrorism in connection with trafficking massive amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine...

ST. LOUIS– Steven L. Hofer was appointed Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) St. Louis Field Division, marking a return to the Division in which he began his 22-year career with the agency. SAC Hofer will oversee operations across 10 DEA offices in Kansas...

CENTENNIAL, CO – The Drug Enforcement Administration's Rocky Mountain Field Division (RMFD) is issuing a warning after DEA's Southwest Laboratory identified illicit pills containing mixtures of both deadly fentanyl/carfentanil and fentanyl/heroin. The drugs were found in tablets after lab analyses of recent seizures in both Colorado and Utah. "With these...

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to 167 months in prison for his role in a transnational drug trafficking organization with ties to a Mexican cartel. The sentence follows a Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) investigation which has so far led to convictions of approximately a dozen...

WASHINGTON – Formal hearing proceedings regarding the proposed rescheduling of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) will begin on Monday, June 29, 2026, at 9:00 A.M. ET in the North Courtroom at DEA Headquarters located at 700 Army Navy Drive, Arlington, Va. The...

NASHVILLE – Thomas K. Weir, 65, of Celina, Tennessee, the majority owner of Oakley Pharmacy, doing business as Dale Hollow Pharmacy and Clay County Xpress Pharmacy, was sentenced June 18, 2026, to 24 months in federal prison, ordered to pay $1,419,974 in restitution to Medicare and TennCare, and required to...

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - Today, United States Attorney Matthew L. Harvey announced civil settlements with two defendants in connection with alleged schemes to defraud Medicare and Medicaid. The civil settlements are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The settlements stem from each defendant’s respective...

HOUSTON – A 51-year-old Houston man has been sentenced for his role in an ongoing cocaine distribution scheme that spanned nearly a decade, announced Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Brian Leardo of the Houston Division and A cting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. Leonel Mata Luna pleaded...

DALLAS, TX - For decades, a property in the 7000 block of Harry Hines Boulevard has been a hub of criminal activity, including prostitution, organized drug sales, and the violent crimes associated with that illicit activity. The City of Dallas initiated a code compliance case against the property owners in...

Orlando, Fla. – Paul Alexander Askew (46, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to influence major international sports competitions by doping. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According...