largest drug bust in california largest drug bust in california

By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. The officers who raided the warehouse said that despite the enormous value of the drugs and cash inside, no one had been left to guard the place and the door was secured with a single, $6 padlock. Moving swiftly, the investigative team obtained search warrants for the warehouse and for a luxurious penthouse apartment in the 4700 block of Sepulveda Boulevard in Sherman Oaks, but by the time the officers arrived at each location, all the occupants were gone. 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. July 9, 2022 6:45 AM PT. 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 . 2023 Cable News Network. 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 Southern California seizure occurred on Oct. 2, 2020 and included 893 pounds of cocaine, 13 pounds of heroin, and 2,224 pounds of methamphetamine. ALAMEDA COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- In what Alameda County Sheriff's Office is calling the largest pot bust in Bay Area history, more than 37 tons of plants, tens of millions of dollars in. 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. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. 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. National correspondent Bill Melugin reports on the major drug raid allegedly tied to Mexican cartels. Atty. This is the cartels. Agents said the confiscated drugs will be inventoried at the warehouse before being taken to a federal facility for safekeeping. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. The L.A. plantations also hog water from local alfalfa, carrot, and potato farmers. DEA Acting Administrator Timothy J. Shea and other law enforcement officials displayed theevidence during a press conference at a DEA warehouse in Montebello. July 9, 2021 / 10:14 AM "We're talking about the cartels," Lancaster, California, Mayor Rex Parris said at a Wednesday press conference. Los Angeles authorities said further arrests were expected. According to a post published to the Salinas Police Department Facebook page on September 16, the department's investigations unit worked with the Monterey County District Attorney's Office, Salinas Violence Suppression Task Force and the Homeland Security Investigations Monterey Office. Market data provided by Factset. Authorities seize over 400 pounds of meth, cocaine and heroin in toolboxes at California border crossing. The leads here are endless, Reiner said. NORCO, Calif. (KABC) -- More than 3,000 pounds of methamphetamine and 66 kilograms of cocaine were found in a massive drug bust in Norco last month, making it the largest seizure of meth for. At the time, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said it was the second-largest bust ever, behind only a 5,000-pound bust in December 2019 in Laredo, Texas. Charles P. Gutensohn, chief of the Drug Enforcement Administrations cocaine investigations section in Washington, said Friday that the Sylmar drug bust appeared to have uncovered a major hand-off point used by Mexican smugglers to deliver cocaine to Colombian distributors, whose networks extend across the United States. Updated 09/21/2021, 5:55 p.m. Heavy security was employed Friday afternoon as the seized cash was deposited at a downtown Los Angeles bank. Also seized were 893 pounds (405 kilograms) of cocaine and 13 pounds (5.9 kilograms) of heroin. ", "It was a team effort all the way around," he said. Though it is typically used to treat severe pain, it is also used recreationally. San Diego Roman Catholic diocese facing yet another lawsuit from its insurance company, K-Pop isnt the only hot ticket in Koreatown how trot is captivating immigrants, Los Angeles is suddenly awash in waterfalls, Officials unprepared for epic mountain blizzard, leaving many trapped and desperate, The Week in Photos: California exits pandemic emergency amid a winter landscape. The Otay Mesa, California, Commercial. "Because of our great partnerships with other law enforcement agencies, we will continue to disrupt the cartels' flow of drugs into our cities.". She called on the district attorney to prosecute those arrested in the operation. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. The drug is often mixed with cocaine and methamphetamine, and many victims do not know they are ingesting fentanyl. 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. 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 massive seizure likely saved lives and prevented the Sinaloa Cartel from doing business and profiting on the lives of people in our communities.". 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Sept. 30, 1989 12 AM PT Times Staff Writers 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. 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. A tip from an informant led to a record drug bust. Investigators saw someone carry out three boxes from the home and put them in a vehicle, according to authorities. 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. Click here for more: http://4.nbcla.com/SV3zVBrDont miss an NBCLA video, subscribe here: https://bit.ly/2NnofFFFor more, visit NBCLA.COM here: https://bit.ly/2uB6niEOn Facebook: https://bit.ly/2uFU1pxOn Twitter: https://bit.ly/2JsBm5YAbout NBCLAThe West Coast flagship station of the NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, serving the vast region since 1949. Hazell said the surveillance team obtained a warrant and searched the car, finding 20 kilograms of cocaine in the trunk. pic.twitter.com/y21yWExTT9. All rights reserved. Together, they worked on the five-month investigation they named Operation Black Hawk into NorCal Transportation. / CBS News. That is what's coming.". L.A. Affairs: My divorce isnt contagious. Cabrera said there is still information that is being processed. 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. 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. 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. / CBS News. The record discovery also makes clear that patterns of international cocaine smuggling have shifted dramatically, Gutensohn said. 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. The Medellin cartel has been blamed for a recent wave of violence against officials in Colombia. But crackdowns off Florida have pushed major importation routes westward, and the Colombian cartels now subcontract some of the smuggling duty to Mexican middlemen. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. But over the last three weeks, they noticed the cartels really starting to make an increased effort to get drugs across the border. Villanueva said that he will share the district attorney's prosecution decision publicly once it's made available. 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 . The post stated that there was specific intent to distribute the drugs between Yuma, Arizona and Salinas, California. 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. The department brought in massive bulldozers to raid the scene, completely leveling the illegal grows and there are reportedly hundreds more to tackle. 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. We are very very close to driving down the freeway and seeing bodies hanging from the overpasses. Did you encounter any technical issues? Federal authorities on Wednesday showed off results of Southern California raids early this month that. Meth is a highly addictive stimulant that usually takes the form of a powder. These middlemen are responsible for moving drugs through Central America and over the Southwest border into the United States. "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. Zienter said the drugs apparently entered the United States at El Paso, Tex., probably in hidden compartments in two tractor-trailer rigs the ring was believed to have been using. Reach her at tori.powell@viacomcbs.com, First published on July 7, 2021 / 8:12 PM. Major Joint-Operation underway in the High Desert to take down Illegal Cartel Operated Marijuana Groves impacting farmers, families, and businesses. A tip from an informant led to a record drug bust. 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. Los Angeles, Calmes: Heres what we should do about Marjorie Taylor Greene, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids, Randall Emmett, Ambyr Childers settle domestic violence restraining order dispute. According to the agency, authorities had been investigating a cocaine and meth drug trafficking organization believed to be linked to the Sinaloa Cartel. A Warner Bros. Theres a glut on the coke market, said the source, who requested anonymity. 2022 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. If convicted, such charges carry substantial maximum penalties that include a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison along with a $10 million fine. Kathy Vara reports for the NBC4 News at 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 7, 2020. We have to continue to do everything we can to combat this deadly drug epidemic and save lives.. They said they were dealing in paintings, velvet paintings, said David Barron, owner of the construction business. The 10-day sting is the largest eradication of illegal marijuana cultivations in the history of the department. They have pleaded not guilty and remain in custody on $5-million bail, the D.A.s office said. The smugglers then deliver the cocaine to Colombian traffickers in major cities. That is the equivalent of about 90 million rocks--the crystalline, pea-sized chunks of the drug commonly sold on the street. I dont know which, but either gives me the shivers.. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Los Angeles police said the total amount of cocaine seized in Sylmar was 39,600 pounds, or 19.8 tons. One tented location was alone appraised at approximately $50 million worth of product. Sign up for FOX 11s Fast 5 newsletter. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department carried out the largest marijuana bust in its history, after seizing more than 33,000 pounds of the drug with a street value of almost $1.2 billion. This may be the biggest meth bust in American. 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. One bill would make it a felony to possess 2 or more grams of the synthetic opioid. 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 . 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. "Our fight is to keep our community safe, so I will take a moment to thank our community for your support.". or redistributed. Originally from Miami, she holds a masters degree in journalism from USC. 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. An international drug ring was busted following a joint operation between the US and . Contributing to this article were Times staff writers Paul Feldman, Andrea Ford, John Johnson, John Kendall, Patricia Klein Lerner, Amy Pyle and George Ramos in Los Angeles; Douglas Jehl in Washington, and Marjorie Miller in Mexico City. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, How Alaska became one of fentanyl's deadliest frontiers, FDA panel backs allowing a naloxone spray to be sold over-the-counter, Biden to tout fentanyl smuggling crackdown in State of the Union. 2.4 tonnes of cocaine worth $677 mn, bound for Australia, intercepted in country's biggest drug bust. At a small office at the front of the building, agents found records indicating that the drugs had come from the infamous Medellin and Cali cartels in Colombia. The fate of NorCal Transportation remains unknown for now, but Cabrera hopes it is shut down. More than 5,000 pounds of methamphetamine were seized in National City, California. HARRIS MEETS WITH MEXICAN PRESIDENT AMID CRITICISM OVER MIGRANT REMARKS, LACK OF BORDER VISIT. in more than a decade, authorities say Photos supplied by Orange County district attorney's office showing the 821 pounds of. 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. Another was arrested at about the same time at the Marriott Hotel in Woodland Hills. according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 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. 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. The article reported that synthetic opioids are the most common substances involved in drug overdose deaths in the United States. The Sylmar haul--weighing about a much as the trash in two fully laden Department of Sanitation trucks--was roughly four times the total amount of cocaine seized throughout Los Angeles in all of 1988. 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. In April, US Customs and Border Protection officers in California seized more than 400 pounds of meth, cocaine and heroin concealed in toolboxes that were being transported to the country. He said the arrest went according to plan and no injuries were sustained by officers or alleged suspects. 6:23 AM EDT, Sat July 9, 2022. 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. "This is enough dope to prove a dose of meth for every man, women and child in the United States and Mexico," DEA Acting Administrator Timothy Shea said. Villanueva revealed to Fox News that these locations are hot spots for criminal behavior with reports of cartel members threatening residents with firearms. The men were charged with importation and distribution of narcotics, the Sun said. The DEA's big bust came just a week before another huge meth seizure. The Facebook post noted that police believe the items seized were proceeds from the sale of the narcotics. With fentanyl in an estimated 40 percent of street drugs, its not a matter of if but when someone you know and love dies from fentanyl, Spitzer said Wednesday. On Oct. 9, U.S. Customs and Border Protection stopped a truck crossing from Mexico into the United States at San Diego's Otay Mesa and found 3,014 pounds (1,367.1 kilograms) of methamphetamine, the agency said Sunday. 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. Both vehicles allegedly contained about 148 bundles of a material that tested positive for methamphetamine, according to the statement. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. "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. 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. They seemed to be making an awful lot of money. "This monumental seizure represents another win against drug cartels that fuel addiction in the United States," said Shelly S. Howe, DEA Special Agent in Charge, in a statement issued with the U.S. Attorney's press release. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. More than 170 law enforcement personnel aided in the search warrants and helped in the apprehension of the suspects. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Agents said the front 15 feet or so had been partitioned off as a secret compartment in which cocaine could be hidden from inspectors, making it appear only bric-a-brac was being hauled. Atty. The cocaine was to be held as evidence and then burned, officials said. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Five men at the scene of the raid were taken into department custody who identified themselves as Mexican nationals who just arrived in the U.S. within the last month. 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. "We are not talking about mom and pop people selling marijuana that they grew in their backyard. Millions of unsuspecting people have the grim reaper looking over their shoulder and they have no idea how close they actually are to dying from taking a single pill, Orange County Dist. A police dog kneels in front of numerous brown bags allegedly containing methamphetamine in San Diego County, California. While California legalized therecreational use of marijuana in 2018, illegal grows of the crop have been on the rise in the state. Four residents of Tijuana, Mexico, face federal drug trafficking charges in connection with a Southern California methamphetamine seizure thatauthorities say was "record-breaking" because of its size. Angelica Stabile is a lifestyle writer for Fox News Digital. 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Download for iOS or Android. 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. July 11, 2022 / 9:03 AM Agents from Southwest Border Group 2 began investigating a large scale drug trafficking organization with ties to the Sinaloa Cartel in SD Otay-Mesa area, allegedly involved in the transportation and delivery of large quantities of drugs. 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. More than 200 locations were served with search warrants. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! An attorney for the men did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Monterey County Weekly reported that officials seized 60 pounds of methamphetamine, five pounds of heroin, 1.5 pounds of cocaine, 25,000 fentanyl pills and nine firearms. Now, come 2021, were going to have to redo the same concept. The investigation into the drug trafficking organization remains ongoing. Discovery Company. Gutensohn said the traffickers maintain control over profitable distribution routes. NBC4 news is delivered across the main broadcast on channel4, at www.nbcla.com, and through multiple interactive social media platforms 24/7. During the investigation, DEA agents and officers, along with the Fontana Police Department, identified a house in Norco where drugs were being stored. Last year, officials seized more than 3 million fentanyl pills in Los . They allegedly seized 444 kilograms of cocaine, 157 kilograms of crystal meth, 427 kilograms of marijuana and 300 oxycodone pills. Mike Holm, a DEA agent in Los Angeles, said the SWAT team was called in to guard the warehouse because we had a large amount of money and drugs in there., We know the Colombians have made threats against law enforcement agencies, he said. Agents seized more than 4,800 pounds of meth nationwide and are still working on more arrests, according to the DEA. 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 raids followed a tip from a neighborhood businessman who saw activities that didnt look quite right at the warehouse where, according to authorities, an import business dealing in inexpensive ceramics, paintings and other bric-a-brac was operated as a front. 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Get your top stories delivered daily! Its going to bring tears to some peoples eyes, Gates said. Miguel Cabrera, the press information officer for the Salinas Police Department, told Newsweek that the department came across some information that kicked off the entire investigation. A number of law enforcement agencies worked together on a five-month investigation that led to a drug bust. The 10-day sting. 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.