The 10-day sting is the largest eradication of illegal marijuana cultivations in the history of the department. Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni told Newsweek that the investigation is ongoing to ensure everyone involved has been identified. Operation Crystal Shield is a nationwide effort involving 70 to 80 investigators in nine cities including Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and Atlanta. One was arrested early Friday at the Beverly Hills Hotel. DEA Acting Administrator Timothy J. Shea and other law enforcement officials displayed theevidence during a press conference at a DEA warehouse in Montebello. "Study after study shows that where there is meth addiction, there is also an uptick in violent crime, including robberies, assaults and murders.". The eight face charges that include conspiracy to transport and distribute narcotics, firearms possession, gang enhancement and conspiracy to commit murder. RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. - Federal agents announced what they called the largest methamphetamine bust in domestic U.S. history Wednesday, displaying a 10- foot high pile of the confiscated drug representing a haul of more than 2,200 pounds seized at stash houses in Riverside County, along with cocaine and heroin. Download for iOS or Android. 30-year-old Dalton Clayton is charged with possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and other counts. Meth is a highly addictive stimulant that usually takes the form of a powder. The 2,224 pounds (1,008.7 kilograms) of methamphetamine was seized Oct. 2 during an investigation of a drug-trafficking organization with ties to the Sinaloa cartel, the DEA said in a statement. Stacked against one wall, in cardboard boxes and black gymnasium bags, was approximately $10 million in cash, most of it in $20 and $100 bills. Federal authorities said contents of the seized packages weighed more than 5,000 pounds, an amount they believe constituted at least one of San Diego County's largest methamphetamine busts in history. The record discovery also makes clear that patterns of international cocaine smuggling have shifted dramatically, Gutensohn said. The operation, which began on June 8, resulted in 22 felony arrests, 109 misdemeanor arrests, and 19 arrests from water theft enforcement teams, officials said. Federal authorities said contents of the seized packages weighed more than 5,000 pounds, an amount they believe constituted at least one of San Diego County's largest methamphetamine busts in. SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- Two alleged drug dealers were behind bars Wednesday after what Orange County authorities described as the largest drug bust in the past 16 years. Four men from Tijuana, Mexico, were arrested and charged with conspiracy to distribute the highly addictive drug in what officials described as one of the largest meth busts in San Diego County. Angelica Stabile is a lifestyle writer for Fox News Digital. July 9, 2022 6:45 AM PT. Ira Reiner said that when the officers entered the warehouse in Sylmar and shined their flashlights about the room, they couldnt believe their eyes.. National correspondent Bill Melugin reports on the major drug raid allegedly tied to Mexican cartels. In November, Spitzer warned drug dealers and distributors in the county that they could be charged with murder if their drug activities result in someones death. In what was described as the largest narcotics haul ever, federal agents seized almost 20 tons of cocaine--worth up to $6 billion on the street--at a San Fernando Valley warehouse, officials said Friday. The first man returned to the warehouse, but officers said they stopped the car and arrested the second man, who gave his name, sarcastically, as Ronald Reagan.. "This massive seizure likely saved lives and prevented the Sinaloa Cartel from doing business and profiting on the lives of people in our communities.". Atty. "Our fight is to keep our community safe, so I will take a moment to thank our community for your support.". One of the trailers was still parked by the warehouse door on Friday. This month the DEA made the biggest meth bust in American history: 2200 pounds of meth, nearly 900 pounds of cocaine, and 13 pounds of heroin. Until the seizure in Sylmar, the largest haul occurred on March 10, 1984, when officials seized 11 tons of cocaine in Tranquilandia, Colombia. Lamas and Raygozaparedes have each been charged with multiple counts of possession for sale of a controlled substance and multiple counts of the sale or transportation for sale of a controlled substance, all felonies, the D.A.s office said. The DEA told FOX 11s Bill Melugin that the COVID-19 pandemic had actually somewhat slowed down the Mexican drug cartels ability to get drugs into SoCal because of increased security at the US border. according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The search resulted in the seizure of 66 kilograms of cocaine and 3,552 pounds of meth from numerous boxes found the home's garage, the DEA said. It paid off for the agencies, and Cabrera said the "outcome was excellent. The cocaine, believed destined for Los Angeles, was 90 percent pure and of Colombian origin, said Ted Hunter, special agent with the federal Drug Enforcement . Were going to reintroduce this law and order and make sure we drive these people out of business and give this community back to the residents.". They also found $966,000 in cash and seized five tractor-trailers. Stranded Lake Arrowhead residents, including Michelle Calkins, are pleading for help on social media as the community continues to run out of food, medication, and deal with gas leak concerns. published to the Salinas Police Department Facebook page, Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. Massive federal drug bust, likely the largest in the Bay Area, nets 1,000 pounds of meth, 44 suspects Michael Cabanatuan Feb. 11, 2021 Updated: Feb. 11, 2021 6:45 p.m. Updated 09/21/2021, 5:55 p.m. GILROY, Calif. On August 24, 2010, law enforcement seized what was - at the time- the largest meth bust in the United States. Lochridge said the suspects, who were not identified, will remain in federal custody over the weekend and probably will be arraigned Monday on state smuggling charges. This seizure should put to rest any further speculation that Los Angeles is, in fact, the major pathway for cocaine entering the country, Ralph Lochridge, a local DEA spokesman, said. The 10-day sting. Large quantities of the drug have been discovered in trucks that entered the country through the Otay Mesa commercial point of entry before. Nonetheless, several law enforcement figures, among them Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl F. Gates, said the amount seized was sufficient to affect the cocaine market, at least temporarily. pic.twitter.com/y21yWExTT9. Updated "This record-breaking bust is the largest seizure of fentanyl pills DEA has made in California," the news release said. But over the last three weeks, they noticed the cartels really starting to make an increased effort to get drugs across the border. That is the equivalent of about 90 million rocks--the crystalline, pea-sized chunks of the drug commonly sold on the street. Edgar Alfonso Lamas, 36, and Carlos Raygozaparedes, 53, were arrested March 17 after Buena Park police officers recovered 20.5 pounds of fentanyl pills from inside a minivan, the Orange County district attorneys office announced Wednesday. Federal authorities on Wednesday showed off results of Southern California raids early this month that led to the biggest domestic seizure of methamphetamine in U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration history. Its more like powder on the football field.. Authorities seize over 400 pounds of meth, cocaine and heroin in toolboxes at California border crossing. EAU CLAIRE Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) - A Colfax man is charged with what the West Central Drug Task Force says is one of its largest drug seizures ever. In 2020, more than 23,000 Americans died from overdoses involving psychostimulants, primarily meth, according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Legal Statement. Andres Jesus Morales, 30, and Christine Ponce, 27, were charged with four drug-related felonies with the intent to sell a controlled substance, the Riverside . Read the original article below and watch our original report from . The CBP confirmed that the drug seizures were the largest busts in the U.S. for both meth and fentanyl for this year and last year, prosecutors said. Reach her at tori.powell@viacomcbs.com, First published on July 7, 2021 / 8:12 PM. Agents said the confiscated drugs will be inventoried at the warehouse before being taken to a federal facility for safekeeping. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Because of the number of agencies involved in the case, Cabrera said it took a great deal of coordination, long hours, research and collaboration to get on the same page. The L.A. plantations also hog water from local alfalfa, carrot, and potato farmers. Cabrera said there is still information that is being processed. CULVER CITY, Calif. (KABC) -- Authorities made one of the largest drug busts in Los Angeles County history recently, seizing meth and cocaine with a street value of nearly $60 million, officials say. Shortly before 2 p.m., a small force of heavily armed DEA agents--accompanied overhead by two police helicopters--blocked traffic on Main Street while depositing the money at a Bank of America branch. A tip from an informant led to a record drug bust. 2023 Cable News Network. This monumental seizure represents another win against drug cartels that fuel addiction in the United States, said Shelly S. Howe, a Special Agent in Charge at the US Drug Enforcement Administration. The investigation into the drug trafficking organization remains ongoing. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. They have pleaded not guilty and remain in custody on $5-million bail, the D.A.s office said. Authorities in Southern California have seized more than 16 tons of marijuana worth an estimated $1.19 billion, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials said Wednesday. A tip from an informant led to a record drug bust. Despite these staggering figures, a law enforcement source in Mexico said the loss of the cash could hurt the drug ring more than the loss of cocaine. Newsweek previously reported that according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. The report also noted that officers seized $90,000 in cash and cashier's checks, two bank accounts and one tractor-trailer belonging to NorCal Transportation. The pair were also charged with two felony enhancements that the controlled substances exceeded 80 kilograms by weight and two felony enhancements that the controlled substances exceeded 20 kilograms by weight or 400 liters by liquid volume. While California legalized therecreational use of marijuana in 2018, illegal grows of the crop have been on the rise in the state. These middlemen are responsible for moving drugs through Central America and over the Southwest border into the United States. They were too well-dressed to operate a warehouse business., Federal agents declined to identify the informant who tipped them, but Curt Hazell, a deputy district attorney in Los Angeles, described him as someone with great instincts for business practices, who knows when he is seeing something about a business like this that is not right.. He said the arrest went according to plan and no injuries were sustained by officers or alleged suspects. Officers also seized 821 pounds of methamphetamine and 189.7 pounds of cocaine after pulling over the minivan leaving a Buena Park home. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Hazell theorized Friday that when the car was stopped, an alert probably went through the system, and they left. He said the suspects all carried beepers and they all moved on a tight, rigidly controlled schedule. Los Angeles, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, Calmes: Heres what we should do about Marjorie Taylor Greene, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids, At least 5 people shot near San Pedro beach, Safety concerns and weather conditions hamper San Bernardino County relief efforts, ICE detainees allege retaliation for speaking about medical conditions at Otay Mesa center, Downtown L.A stabbing sends six to hospital; suspect arrested, San Diego Roman Catholic diocese facing yet another lawsuit from its insurance company. The trucking company allegedly operated a drug trafficking organization. A number of law enforcement agencies worked together on a five-month investigation that led to a drug bust. On Thursday, Hazell said, the surveillance team saw a car leave the warehouse, and team members followed it to East Los Angeles, where the driver got out and another man got in. NBC4s news operation has received nearly every industry award bestowed on local news, including numerous Los Angeles Emmy and Golden Mike Awards, two national and two regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, and a Peabody Award. The largest previous seizure in the United states came last Nov. 17, when agents recovered about 4.35 tons of the drug in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. "This illegal activity is impacting the quality of life for residents and businesses and if left unaddressed will have long lasting and devastating affects in the region," Barger said. This is the cartels. The investigation led to search warrants at multiple narcotic stash houses in Moreno Valley and Perris in Riverside County, officials said. appreciated. DEA CNN More than 5,000 pounds of methamphetamine were seized this week after authorities in San Diego. ET: This story has been updated with statements from Salinas Police Departmen press information officer Miguel Cabrera and Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni. Successful seizures like these save lives and reduce the exploitation and victimization of our local communities, Bodner said. And, get breaking news alerts in the FOX 11 News app. All rights reserved. SAN DIEGO . The drugs were intended for distribution in Southern California, including Los Angeles, according to DEA officials, who displayed the haul at the agency's warehouse in an undisclosed location in Los Angeles County. The bundles found in the boxes tested positive for methamphetamine, according to the statement. One tented location was alone appraised at approximately $50 million worth of product. Click here for mor. Federal authorities on Wednesday showed off results of Southern California raids early this month that. The search at the Sherman Oaks apartment turned up little, but Dist. The DEA says the drugs were linked to the Sinaloa drug cartel and would have ended up in the hands of addicts on LA streets. A police dog kneels in front of numerous brown bags allegedly containing methamphetamine in San Diego County, California. Investigators saw someone carry out three boxes from the home and put them in a vehicle, according to authorities. "This is an issue that is plaguing, and will continue to plague, if we do not make it very uncomfortable and one way to make it uncomfortable is to prosecute," Barger said. That seizure carried an estimated street value of $2.56 million, CBP said. The suspects identified as 37-year-old Rafael Alzua, 41-year-old Galdrino Contreras, 41-year-old Mario Contreras, and 44-year-old Ethgar Velazquez are accused of attempting to transport large quantities of meth after police found them unloading a vehicle filled with the illegal substance on Thursday. Get your top stories delivered daily! Now, come 2021, were going to have to redo the same concept. Atty. Opioid crisis settlements total over $50 billion. Photos supplied by Orange County district attorneys office showing the 821 pounds of methamphetamine, 189.7 pounds of cocaine and 20.5 pounds of fentanyl pills that were seized by officers after they pulled over a minivan leaving a Buena Park home. They seemed to be making an awful lot of money. The cash was deposited by federal officials in a downtown bank Friday afternoon. Both vehicles allegedly contained about 148 bundles of a material that tested positive for methamphetamine, according to the statement. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Gutensohn said the traffickers maintain control over profitable distribution routes. #KeepingYouSafe @SDSheriff K-9 Milo is a very good boy after helping our deputies and law enforcement partners make one of the biggest methamphetamine busts in #SanDiegoCounty history. California Two men arrested in largest drug bust in O.C. Legal Statement. The investigation led to search warrants being served at narcotics stash houses in the Riverside County cities of Moreno Valley and Perris, east of Los Angeles. Biggest drug bust goes down in LA sheriff department history. NBC4 produces 43 hours each week of local news and weather, and the station features the largest award-winning investigative unit in Southern California. Last year, officials seized more than 3 million fentanyl pills in Los . All rights reserved, Authorities: 37 Pounds of Meth Found in Driver's Spare Tire, Second-Largest Border Meth Bust in History Announced, CBP Finds $3.9 Million Worth of Meth, Cocaine in Boulders at Tecate Crossing, Check Your Pockets: These Coins Can Be Worth Up To $24,000, Glendale Neighborhood Frustrated After an Illegal Hostel Moves In, NASA Images Show Southern California Mountains Before and After Winter Storm, Tax Deadlines Extended to October for Most Californians Due to Storms. July 11, 2022 / 9:03 AM It was the coming together of two organizations, a distributor and a buyer, Hazell said, declining to explain further. In the last two months alone, there have been at least seven confirmed mass overdose events tied to fentanyl across the U.S. resulting in 58 overdoses and 29 deaths, the agency said. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. A record meth bust part of a national operation was announced Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020. But crackdowns off Florida have pushed major importation routes westward, and the Colombian cartels now subcontract some of the smuggling duty to Mexican middlemen. "We are not talking about mom and pop people selling marijuana that they grew in their backyard. Officials declined to say how many more people they were seeking. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. There, amid plastic owls, plaster figurines, pinatas and a painting of Christ walking on the water, were boxes containing thousands of one-kilo packages of cocaine, stacked in piles up to eight feet tall. They said they were dealing in paintings, velvet paintings, said David Barron, owner of the construction business. More than 200 locations were served with search warrants. "And we introduced law and order back in those days. The Los Angeles-area bust - an estimated $15 million to $20 million in street value - came just days after Mexican authorities seized more than a half a ton of fentanyl in the state of Sinaloa.. July 9, 2021 / 10:14 AM 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Todd Spitzer said in a statement about the bust. Just north of L.A. in Antelope Valley, California, officials tracked down, identified and destroyed 70 to 80 outhouses filled with illegal marijuana plots in the open desert. The men were charged with importation and distribution of narcotics, the Sun said. During the investigation, DEA agents and officers, along with the Fontana Police Department, identified a house in Norco where drugs were being stored. The price is going to go up.. Three men believed to be Mexican nationals were arrested in the Los Angeles area--two of them at luxury hotels--and about $10 million in cash was seized at a warehouse in Sylmar during raids that began about 10 p.m. Thursday, according to DEA agents. Five search warrants were executed on September 9, and four individuals were arrested in Salinas, and another four were arrested in Yuma County, Arizona in connection with the ongoing investigation. HARRIS MEETS WITH MEXICAN PRESIDENT AMID CRITICISM OVER MIGRANT REMARKS, LACK OF BORDER VISIT. All Rights Reserved. Law enforcement followed the vehicle to National City, California, where agents saw the accused men unloading dozens of cardboard boxes from the truck into a Dodge van. A record meth bust part of a national operation was announced Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020. The investigation is continuing.. March 4 (UPI) --Australian police on Saturday revealed the details of an operation that intercepted $1 billion worth of cocaine in the country's biggest-ever drug bust. Western Australia Police . The Facebook post noted that police believe the items seized were proceeds from the sale of the narcotics. Three additional arrests reportedly occurred in Las Vegas Friday. Detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Narcotic Bureau identified over 500 illegal marijuana cultivations in 2021, increasing from the 150 identified in 2020, according to a June statement. We have to continue to do everything we can to combat this deadly drug epidemic and save lives.. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Hazell said that after the informant called authorities Wednesday, the DEA, the Los Angeles Police Department and an interagency task force that includes representatives of the Treasury Department, the U.S. Customs Service and the Arcadia, Bell, Huntington Park and Maywood police departments, began surveillance of the warehouse. Over 400 Pounds of Meth, Cocaine and Heroin were Discovered in Toolboxes. The Southern California seizure occurred on Oct. 2, 2020 and included 893 pounds of cocaine, 13 pounds of heroin, and 2,224 pounds of methamphetamine. An attorney for the men did not immediately respond to a request for comment. More than 5,000 pounds of methamphetamine were seized in National City, California. Market data provided by Factset. Agents seized more than 4,800 pounds of meth nationwide and are still working on more arrests, according to the DEA. The cocaine was to be held as evidence and then burned, officials said. Read the news release here: https://t.co/BOdi19XyJO #Teamwork @HSISanDiego @DEASANDIEGODiv pic.twitter.com/v68GWLy42O, First published on July 11, 2022 / 9:03 AM. The Medellin cartel has been blamed for a recent wave of violence against officials in Colombia. Nearly 375,000 marijuana plants and 33,480 pounds of harvested marijuana were seized, along with 65 vehicles, 180 animals and $28,000. Saying they feared a possible attempt by drug traffickers to recover their contraband by force, Los Angeles police dispatched a SWAT team to the warehouse to provide extra security after the raids. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, Winter storms ease drought conditions in California, report shows, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, David Lindley, guitarist best known for work with Jackson Browne, dies at 78, Best coffee city in the world? The Drug Enforcement Administration said the seizure represents about 5% of the worlds annual production of the drug--more cocaine than growers in Peru, the worlds largest supplier, can produce in a month. "During the investigations it was determined that NorCal Transportation was directly connected to the Sinaloa Cartel and transporting narcotics in conjunction with Norteno gang leaders," the post continued. Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department documented the biggest drug bust in its history on Tuesday and officials expect Mexican cartels are to blame. Authorities seized . One of the largest drug busts in Monterey County, California history was pulled off when nearly $2 million worth of illegal drugs were seized by Salinas police and federal agents, as reported by KSBW Action News. L.A. Affairs: My divorce isnt contagious. The leads here are endless, Reiner said. Authorities in Southern California have seized more than 16 tons of marijuana worth an estimated $1.19 billion, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials said Wednesday. The DEA's big bust came just a week before another huge meth seizure. The Riverside Police Department raided Morales' and Ponce's home in Perris, California, on Aug. 17, where they found 46.2 pounds of carfentanil, 8.8 pounds of cocaine, and 2.2 pounds of heroin . Operation Sudden Fall was a 2008 joint operation between the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and San Diego State University (SDSU) campus police investigating drug abuse in the College Area of San Diego, California.It was the largest campus drug bust in San Diego County history and one of the largest college drug busts in U.S. history. If convicted, such charges carry substantial maximum penalties that include a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison along with a $10 million fine. Sheriff Alex Villanueva has since launched an operation with up to 500 deputies and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to hunt down and destroy other marijuana plantations. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, is as much as 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, which on Wednesday released a letter warning state and federal law enforcement agencies that the drug was driving a nationwide spike of mass overdose events amid the worsening opioid epidemic. An international drug ring was busted following a joint operation between the US and . The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California alleges that agents then saw the men removing dozens of cardboard boxes from the truck and into a Dodge van. The Otay Mesa, California, Commercial. LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Police and federal agents seized 1,700 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of $500 million, three days after a bust netted up to 2,400 pounds of the drug in Tijuana, Mexico, authorities said Saturday. Just north of L.A. in Antelope Valley,. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. More than 5,000 pounds of methamphetamine were seized this week after authorities in San Diego County tracked and intercepted a truck that crossed the US border from Mexico, officials said Friday. 2023 FOX Television Stations, This California city named 'happiest' in America for 3rd-straight year, Tory Lanez sentencing postponed in Megan Thee Stallion shooting, In-N-Out has 2nd-healthiest fast-food cheeseburger in America, study says, PHOTOS: Snow makes spectacular sight across Southern California, Disneyland banned Rebel Wilson over selfie, actress says, At least 5 shot at San Pedro beach, suspect on the run, Landslide in Newport Beach damages several homes, Bass: LA to search for new Animal Services GM, Protesters demand new GM of LA Animal Services, Portion of 5 Freeway dedicated to Tommy Lasorda, LASD must eliminate deputy gangs, special counsel says, 6 stabbed in downtown LA, suspect arrested, Tom Sizemore, 'Saving Private Ryan' Actor, Dies at 61 after suffering brain aneurysm, 'We need help': Stranded Lake Arrowhead residents plead for assistance amid food and medication shortages. In pure form, the tonnage would hold a retail value of about $2 billion, but since cocaine is usually adulterated to about one-third strength, law enforcement officials estimated the street value at $6 billion. Villanueva said that he will share the district attorney's prosecution decision publicly once it's made available. Its going to bring tears to some peoples eyes, Gates said. Colombian drug cartels used to control cocaine shipments from start to finish, employing their own operatives to move the drug from processing plants in the Colombian jungle across the Caribbean and then into the United States. Either they feel awfully secure, or this (loss) isnt that significant to them, said John Zienter, special agent in charge of the DEAs Los Angeles office. This is not just powder on the table, said Donald Hamilton, a DEA spokesman in Washington.
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