largest drug bust in california

The men were charged with importation and distribution of narcotics, the Sun said. This is not just powder on the table, said Donald Hamilton, a DEA spokesman in Washington. Read the original article below and watch our original report from . 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. Authorities seized . "Study after study shows that where there is meth addiction, there is also an uptick in violent crime, including robberies, assaults and murders.". The 10-day sting. 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The trucking company allegedly operated a drug trafficking organization. One was arrested early Friday at the Beverly Hills Hotel. More than 5,000 pounds of methamphetamine were seized in National City, California. A furry hero sniffs out one of the largest drug busts in Fontana. The investigation is continuing.. They also found $966,000 in cash and seized five tractor-trailers. SAN DIEGO . Reach her at tori.powell@viacomcbs.com, First published on July 7, 2021 / 8:12 PM. Together, they worked on the five-month investigation they named Operation Black Hawk into NorCal Transportation. They seemed to be making an awful lot of money. 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 DEA's big bust came just a week before another huge meth seizure. Employees of a construction business adjacent to the warehouse at 12898 Bradley St. said about four or five Spanish-speaking men--friendly, well-dressed, clean-cut and well mannered--rented the place about two years ago and began doing business. The four men were arrested during the seizure and charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, classified as a schedule II controlled substance due to its high potential for dependency and recreational abuse. 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. The Las Vegas Sun newspaper said that three Los Angeles men, one of them a former Mexican customs official, were arrested by DEA agents at an expensive Las Vegas hotel in connection with the seizure. 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. Tori B. Powell is a breaking news reporter at CBS News. 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. Biggest drug bust goes down in LA sheriff department history. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. "Our fight is to keep our community safe, so I will take a moment to thank our community for your support.". 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Updated 09/21/2021, 5:55 p.m. California Two men arrested in largest drug bust in O.C. 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. Los Angeles authorities said further arrests were expected. A record meth bust part of a national operation was announced Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020. Why are people treating me this way? Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department documented the biggest drug bust in its history on Tuesday and officials expect Mexican cartels are to blame. Three additional arrests reportedly occurred in Las Vegas Friday. "This massive seizure likely saved lives and prevented the Sinaloa Cartel from doing business and profiting on the lives of people in our communities.". 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. A number of law enforcement agencies worked together on a five-month investigation that led to a drug bust. 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. Ira Reiner said that when the officers entered the warehouse in Sylmar and shined their flashlights about the room, they couldnt believe their eyes.. That is what's coming.". National correspondent Bill Melugin reports on the major drug raid allegedly tied to Mexican cartels. 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 coke you can replace.. NBC4 produces 43 hours each week of local news and weather, and the station features the largest award-winning investigative unit in Southern California. They worked with authorities in Arizona and it started to grow. She called on the district attorney to prosecute those arrested in the operation. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Todd Spitzer said in a statement about the bust. 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. 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. Local authorities charged a California man and woman Thursday in a massive drug bust that found more than 46 pounds of a lethal and potent synthetic opioid, multiple sources reported. A tip from an informant led to a record drug bust. Successful seizures like these save lives and reduce the exploitation and victimization of our local communities, Bodner said. Over 400 Pounds of Meth, Cocaine and Heroin were Discovered in Toolboxes. 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. The nation last year surpassed 100,000 overdoses in a 12-month period for the first time largely due to the drug, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This may be the biggest meth bust in American. "What we want to do is send a clear and loud message to the cartels and anyone doing an illegal operation in the high desert: Your days are over and we're coming for you," said Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva. 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. The one-story warehouse is located in an industrial park in Sylmar, a developing district on the northern edge of Los Angeles. During the investigation, DEA agents and officers, along with the Fontana Police Department, identified a house in Norco where drugs were being stored. 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. The cash was deposited by federal officials in a downtown bank Friday afternoon. A police dog kneels in front of numerous brown bags allegedly containing methamphetamine in San Diego County, California. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. 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. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. All rights reserved. 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.. 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The truck also contained 64 pounds (29 kilograms) of heroin, 29 pounds (13.1 kilograms) of fentanyl powder and almost 37 pounds (16.7 kilograms) of fentanyl pills, the agency said. "It is an indication of what law enforcement agencies can do to take down a drug trafficking organization such as this one if we devote the time necessary to get to the end result.". Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. DEA CNN More than 5,000 pounds of methamphetamine were seized this week after authorities in San Diego. More than 170 law enforcement personnel aided in the search warrants and helped in the apprehension of the suspects. 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. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Los Angeles police said the total amount of cocaine seized in Sylmar was 39,600 pounds, or 19.8 tons. 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. 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. It was the coming together of two organizations, a distributor and a buyer, Hazell said, declining to explain further. He said the arrest went according to plan and no injuries were sustained by officers or alleged suspects. 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. 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. Opioid crisis settlements total over $50 billion. 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. More than 5,000 pounds of methamphetamine were seized in National City, California. 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 next morning, the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Office announced the 34 arrests and the seizure of 3,164 pounds of methamphetamine the biggest drug bust in the county's history, and one of the largest ever in the nation. A tip from an informant led to a record drug bust. 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 of methamphetamine, the agency said Sunday.. 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. 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. All rights reserved. Sign up for FOX 11s Fast 5 newsletter. DEA Acting Administrator Timothy J. Shea and other law enforcement officials displayed theevidence during a press conference at a DEA warehouse in Montebello. in more than a decade, authorities say Photos supplied by Orange County district attorney's office showing the 821 pounds of. 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. 30-year-old Dalton Clayton is charged with possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and other counts. 6:23 AM EDT, Sat July 9, 2022. The search at the Sherman Oaks apartment turned up little, but Dist. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. The Otay Mesa, California, Commercial. Market data provided by Factset. Atty. If convicted of all charges, both face a maximum sentence of 37 years and 4 months, according to the D.A.s office. 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.". Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Meth is a highly addictive stimulant that usually takes the form of a powder. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. You need money and you need it to be liquid to pay for your infrastructure. Angelica Stabile is a lifestyle writer for Fox News Digital. The operation found that NorCal Transportation was directly connected to the Sinaloa Cartel. 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. 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. Investigators saw someone carry out three boxes from the home and put them in a vehicle, according to authorities. Its going to bring tears to some peoples eyes, Gates said. 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. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Both vehicles allegedly contained about 148 bundles of a material that tested positive for methamphetamine, according to the statement. The L.A. plantations also hog water from local alfalfa, carrot, and potato farmers. 2. 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. 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. 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. 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. L.A. Affairs: My divorce isnt contagious. "This record-breaking bust is the largest seizure of fentanyl pills DEA has made in California," the news release said. Detectives found that the average size per cultivation at farms increased to 15 greenhouses, up from eight per farm in the year prior. 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. But crackdowns off Florida have pushed major importation routes westward, and the Colombian cartels now subcontract some of the smuggling duty to Mexican middlemen. Deaths related to methamphetamine use have been on the rise in San Diego in recent years. 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 . Two Buena Park men are facing felony charges in connection with what prosecutors are calling the largest drug bust in Orange County in 16 years. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. 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. Bill Bodner, special agent in charge of the DEA's Los Angeles Field Division, said Los Angeles is a major transshipment hub for Mexican cartels trafficking illegal drugs across the southwest border. Teachers learn to administer Narcan amid opioid crisis. We have to continue to do everything we can to combat this deadly drug epidemic and save lives.. Villanueva revealed to Fox News that these locations are hot spots for criminal behavior with reports of cartel members threatening residents with firearms. Until the seizure in Sylmar, the largest haul occurred on March 10, 1984, when officials seized 11 tons of cocaine in Tranquilandia, Colombia. 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. "And we introduced law and order back in those days. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. 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 the Drug Enforcement Administration's Los Angeles Division. While California legalized therecreational use of marijuana in 2018, illegal grows of the crop have been on the rise in the state. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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 . Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said the impacts of illegal marijuana cultivation by cartels include water theft, human trafficking, pollution and threats to safety and security. Officials say they believe international cartels are behind the illegal large-scale marijuana farms. / CBS News. 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. These middlemen are responsible for moving drugs through Central America and over the Southwest border into the United States. 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. More than 200 locations were served with search warrants. Nearly 375,000 marijuana plants and 33,480 pounds of harvested marijuana were seized, along with 65 vehicles, 180 animals and $28,000. They have pleaded not guilty and remain in custody on $5-million bail, the D.A.s office said. July 9, 2021 / 10:14 AM A record meth bust part of a national operation was announced Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020. 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. The bundles found in the boxes tested positive for methamphetamine, according to the statement. NBC4 news is delivered across the main broadcast on channel4, at www.nbcla.com, and through multiple interactive social media platforms 24/7. 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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. GILROY, Calif. On August 24, 2010, law enforcement seized what was - at the time- the largest meth bust in the United States. The article reported that synthetic opioids are the most common substances involved in drug overdose deaths in the United States. Theres a glut on the coke market, said the source, who requested anonymity. Get your top stories delivered daily! 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. 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July 11, 2022 / 9:03 AM The post stated that there was specific intent to distribute the drugs between Yuma, Arizona and Salinas, California. 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. Cabrera said there is still information that is being processed. 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.. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department documented the biggest drug bust in its history on Tuesday and officials expect Mexican cartels are to blame. / CBS News. They said they were dealing in paintings, velvet paintings, said David Barron, owner of the construction business. And, get breaking news alerts in the FOX 11 News app. 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 at multiple narcotic stash houses in Moreno Valley and Perris in Riverside County, officials said. 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.

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