largest drug bust in california

Villanueva said that he will share the district attorney's prosecution decision publicly once it's made available. A record meth bust part of a national operation was announced Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020. How is that money being used? Now, come 2021, were going to have to redo the same concept. / CBS News. The search at the Sherman Oaks apartment turned up little, but Dist. Major Joint-Operation underway in the High Desert to take down Illegal Cartel Operated Marijuana Groves impacting farmers, families, and businesses. 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. 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. Operation Crystal Shield is a nationwide effort involving 70 to 80 investigators in nine cities including Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and Atlanta. "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. Last year, officials seized more than 3 million fentanyl pills in Los . These middlemen are responsible for moving drugs through Central America and over the Southwest border into the United States. The leads here are endless, Reiner said. They said they were dealing in paintings, velvet paintings, said David Barron, owner of the construction business. 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. According to the criminal complaint, on February 13th, the task force got a tip Clayton . 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. L.A. Affairs: My divorce isnt contagious. 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. 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 drugs have an estimated street value of $33 million. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 30-year-old Dalton Clayton is charged with possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and other counts. 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 may be the biggest meth bust in American. 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. "The biggest thanks is going to have to go to my detectives for their hard work," said Acting Salinas Police Chief Roberto Filice. "The origins of the sheriffs department date back to 1850 when this was the Wild West," the sheriff said. Tori B. Powell is a breaking news reporter at CBS News. They seemed to be making an awful lot of money. 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. 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. 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. It paid off for the agencies, and Cabrera said the "outcome was excellent. Authorities made one of the largest methamphetamine busts ever in San Diego County, seizing more than 5,000 pounds of the drug and arresting four Tijuana . More than 5,000 pounds of methamphetamine were seized in National City, California. 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. He said the arrest went according to plan and no injuries were sustained by officers or alleged suspects. 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? 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 DEA's Los Angeles Division. 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. That is what's coming.". 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 . During the investigation, DEA agents and officers, along with the Fontana Police Department, identified a house in Norco where drugs were being stored. The fate of NorCal Transportation remains unknown for now, but Cabrera hopes it is shut down. 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. according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention. While California legalized therecreational use of marijuana in 2018, illegal grows of the crop have been on the rise in the state. 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. 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. 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. Meth is a highly addictive stimulant that usually takes the form of a powder. "This massive seizure likely saved lives and prevented the Sinaloa Cartel from doing business and profiting on the lives of people in our communities.". Get your top stories delivered daily! 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. 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. This is not just powder on the table, said Donald Hamilton, a DEA spokesman in Washington. The trucking company allegedly operated a drug trafficking organization. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department documented the biggest drug bust in its history on Tuesday and officials expect Mexican cartels are to blame. The San Diego Union-Tribune OTAY MESA, Calif. Federal authorities made what they called likely the largest methamphetamine bust in United States history, finding more than 5,528 pounds of the. "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. Detectives found that the average size per cultivation at farms increased to 15 greenhouses, up from eight per farm in the year prior. The L.A. plantations also hog water from local alfalfa, carrot, and potato farmers. 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. Officials say they believe international cartels are behind the illegal large-scale marijuana farms. 2022 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. The coke you can replace.. 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.". Read the original article below and watch our original report from . 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. 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. "Our fight is to keep our community safe, so I will take a moment to thank our community for your support.". They allegedly seized 444 kilograms of cocaine, 157 kilograms of crystal meth, 427 kilograms of marijuana and 300 oxycodone pills. The men were charged with importation and distribution of narcotics, the Sun said. We wanted SWAT.. Both vehicles allegedly contained about 148 bundles of a material that tested positive for methamphetamine, according to the statement. Kathy Vara reports for the NBC4 News at 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 7, 2020. Until the seizure in Sylmar, the largest haul occurred on March 10, 1984, when officials seized 11 tons of cocaine in Tranquilandia, Colombia. "And we introduced law and order back in those days. DEA Acting Administrator Timothy J. Shea and other law enforcement officials displayed theevidence during a press conference at a DEA warehouse in Montebello. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Authorities seize over 400 pounds of meth, cocaine and heroin in toolboxes at California border crossing. 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. Successful seizures like these save lives and reduce the exploitation and victimization of our local communities, Bodner said. Updated 09/21/2021, 5:55 p.m. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Reach her at tori.powell@viacomcbs.com, First published on July 7, 2021 / 8:12 PM. In 2020, more than 23,000 Americans died from overdoses involving psychostimulants, primarily meth, according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Los Angeles police said the total amount of cocaine seized in Sylmar was 39,600 pounds, or 19.8 tons. All rights reserved. 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. 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. Another was arrested at about the same time at the Marriott Hotel in Woodland Hills. Did you encounter any technical issues? DEA CNN More than 5,000 pounds of methamphetamine were seized this week after authorities in San Diego. 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"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.". 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 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. HARRIS MEETS WITH MEXICAN PRESIDENT AMID CRITICISM OVER MIGRANT REMARKS, LACK OF BORDER VISIT. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Gutensohn said the traffickers maintain control over profitable distribution routes. 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. Theres a glut on the coke market, said the source, who requested anonymity. 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 price is going to go up.. The record discovery also makes clear that patterns of international cocaine smuggling have shifted dramatically, Gutensohn said. The 10-day sting. They have pleaded not guilty and remain in custody on $5-million bail, the D.A.s office said. Fentanyl is cheap, its easy to get and it is killing our children, our coworkers, and tens of thousands of innocent Americans who dont have to die.. 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. 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. If convicted, such charges carry substantial maximum penalties that include a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison along with a $10 million fine. Market data provided by Factset. Authorities seized . Heavy security was employed Friday afternoon as the seized cash was deposited at a downtown Los Angeles bank. The article reported that synthetic opioids are the most common substances involved in drug overdose deaths in the United States. An international drug ring was busted following a joint operation between the US and . 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 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. 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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.. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ET: This story has been updated with statements from Salinas Police Departmen press information officer Miguel Cabrera and Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni. Officers also seized 821 pounds of methamphetamine and 189.7 pounds of cocaine after pulling over the minivan leaving a Buena Park home. She called on the district attorney to prosecute those arrested in the operation.

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