largest drug bust in california

Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department documented the biggest drug bust in its history on Tuesday and officials expect Mexican cartels are to blame. 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 . Until the seizure in Sylmar, the largest haul occurred on March 10, 1984, when officials seized 11 tons of cocaine in Tranquilandia, Colombia. Nearly 375,000 marijuana plants and 33,480 pounds of harvested marijuana were seized, along with 65 vehicles, 180 animals and $28,000. ATM thieves use glue and 'tap' function to drain accounts at Chase, Alpine Village in Torrance closes after more than five decades, Gas prices rise for 31st consecutive day in LA County. 20 people charged, $61M worth of drugs seized in largest bust in You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Record 20 Tons of Cocaine Seized - Los Angeles Times 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.. The investigation led to search warrants at multiple narcotic stash houses in Moreno Valley and Perris in Riverside County, officials said. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. The Otay Mesa, California, Commercial. 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 one-story warehouse is located in an industrial park in Sylmar, a developing district on the northern edge of Los Angeles. But over the last three weeks, they noticed the cartels really starting to make an increased effort to get drugs across the border. The Medellin cartel has been blamed for a recent wave of violence against officials in Colombia. The record discovery also makes clear that patterns of international cocaine smuggling have shifted dramatically, Gutensohn said. 2023 Cable News Network. Why are people treating me this way? published to the Salinas Police Department Facebook page, Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. 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. One tented location was alone appraised at approximately $50 million worth of product. They worked with authorities in Arizona and it started to grow. Teachers learn to administer Narcan amid opioid crisis. Download for iOS or Android. GILROY, Calif. On August 24, 2010, law enforcement seized what was - at the time- the largest meth bust in the United States. 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? Though it is typically used to treat severe pain, it is also used recreationally. Reach her at tori.powell@viacomcbs.com, First published on July 7, 2021 / 8:12 PM. Legal Statement. The DEA's big bust came just a week before another huge meth seizure. Major Joint-Operation underway in the High Desert to take down Illegal Cartel Operated Marijuana Groves impacting farmers, families, and businesses. 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. Meth bust at California border crossing is likely largest in U.S The 10-day sting. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department documented the biggest drug bust in its history on Tuesday and officials expect Mexican cartels are to blame. Its going to bring tears to some peoples eyes, Gates said. We wanted SWAT.. All rights reserved. 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. 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 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. One million fentanyl pills seized - largest bust of its kind in 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. 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 . 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.. 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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. 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. 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. The bundles found in the boxes tested positive for methamphetamine, according to the statement. It was the coming together of two organizations, a distributor and a buyer, Hazell said, declining to explain further. Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni told Newsweek that the investigation is ongoing to ensure everyone involved has been identified. 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. 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. The operation found that NorCal Transportation was directly connected to the Sinaloa Cartel. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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 . 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.. It paid off for the agencies, and Cabrera said the "outcome was excellent. As some of the officers secured the warehouse and began itemizing its contents, others fanned out to search for missing suspects, at least some of whom had remained under surveillance. 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. 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. 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. According to the criminal complaint, on February 13th, the task force got a tip Clayton . 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. 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. They seemed to be making an awful lot of money. Authorities seize over 400 pounds of meth, cocaine and heroin in toolboxes at California border crossing. 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. Now, come 2021, were going to have to redo the same concept. 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. One was arrested early Friday at the Beverly Hills Hotel. A record meth bust part of a national operation was announced Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020. This is the cartels. California Two men arrested in largest drug bust in O.C. according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention. A police dog kneels in front of numerous brown bags allegedly containing methamphetamine in San Diego County, California. 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. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. 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. July 9, 2022 6:45 AM PT. 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. Just north of L.A. in Antelope Valley,. The largest DEA domestic seizure of methamphetamine in history is a significant blow to the cartels, but more importantly it is a gigantic victory for communities throughout Southern California and the United States who have had to deal with the torrent of methamphetamine coming into their neighborhoods, Shea said. Hayley Smith covers breaking news in California with a focus on wildfires, drought and climate change. Gutensohn said the traffickers maintain control over profitable distribution routes. 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. More than 5,000 pounds of methamphetamine were seized in National City, California. 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. "Our fight is to keep our community safe, so I will take a moment to thank our community for your support.". The leads here are endless, Reiner said. All Rights Reserved. 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. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The eight face charges that include conspiracy to transport and distribute narcotics, firearms possession, gang enhancement and conspiracy to commit murder. "Study after study shows that where there is meth addiction, there is also an uptick in violent crime, including robberies, assaults and murders.". This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, More than 5,000 pounds of methamphetamine found in record-breaking Opioid crisis settlements total over $50 billion. Largest Cocaine Bust in California History Announced by LAPD Both vehicles allegedly contained about 148 bundles of a material that tested positive for methamphetamine, according to the statement. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. They said they were dealing in paintings, velvet paintings, said David Barron, owner of the construction business. "This massive seizure likely saved lives and prevented the Sinaloa Cartel from doing business and profiting on the lives of people in our communities.". 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. 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. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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 . A tip from an informant led to a record drug bust. National correspondent Bill Melugin reports on the major drug raid allegedly tied to Mexican cartels. Together, they worked on the five-month investigation they named Operation Black Hawk into NorCal Transportation. Another was arrested at about the same time at the Marriott Hotel in Woodland Hills. Theres a glut on the coke market, said the source, who requested anonymity. "Because of our great partnerships with other law enforcement agencies, we will continue to disrupt the cartels' flow of drugs into our cities.". / CBS News. Record Drug Bust in Southern California Is Largest in US | NBCLA HARRIS MEETS WITH MEXICAN PRESIDENT AMID CRITICISM OVER MIGRANT REMARKS, LACK OF BORDER VISIT. #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. L.A. Affairs: My divorce isnt contagious. If convicted, such charges carry substantial maximum penalties that include a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison along with a $10 million fine. Officials declined to say how many more people they were seeking. 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.. 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. Ira Reiner said that when the officers entered the warehouse in Sylmar and shined their flashlights about the room, they couldnt believe their eyes.. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. "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. DEA Announces Biggest Meth Bust in US History With 10-Foot-High Pile of Los Angeles-area drug bust nets 1 million fentanyl-laced pills - USA TODAY And, get breaking news alerts in the FOX 11 News app. This is not just powder on the table, said Donald Hamilton, a DEA spokesman in Washington. CALIFORNIA, USA Federal agents announced what they called the largest methamphetamine bust in U.S. history Wednesday, displaying a 10-foot high pile of the confiscated drug representing a haul . Massive federal drug bust, likely the largest in the Bay Area, nets Los Angeles authorities said further arrests were expected. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. These middlemen are responsible for moving drugs through Central America and over the Southwest border into the United States. 30-year-old Dalton Clayton is charged with possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and other counts. DEA announces biggest meth bust in U.S. history in Southern California I dont know which, but either gives me the shivers.. One bill would make it a felony to possess 2 or more grams of the synthetic opioid. 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. 5,000 pounds of meth seized in San Diego County when truck is - CNN Hazell said the surveillance team obtained a warrant and searched the car, finding 20 kilograms of cocaine in the trunk. 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. 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. 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. California Drug Bust Found Enough Opioids To 'Kill More Than 50 - MSN Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. The post stated that there was specific intent to distribute the drugs between Yuma, Arizona and Salinas, California. Detectives found that the average size per cultivation at farms increased to 15 greenhouses, up from eight per farm in the year prior. More than 5,000 pounds of methamphetamine were seized in National City, California. The 10-day sting is the largest eradication of illegal marijuana cultivations in the history of the department. 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. 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 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. An attorney for the men did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 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. An international drug ring was busted following a joint operation between the US and . Operation Crystal Shield is a nationwide effort involving 70 to 80 investigators in nine cities including Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and Atlanta. 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. 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. Did you encounter any technical issues? That is what's coming.". According to the agency, authorities had been investigating a cocaine and meth drug trafficking organization believed to be linked to the Sinaloa Cartel. Los Angeles police said the total amount of cocaine seized in Sylmar was 39,600 pounds, or 19.8 tons. or redistributed. 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. Market data provided by Factset. A furry hero sniffs out one of the largest drug busts in Fontana. 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. 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. pic.twitter.com/y21yWExTT9. "And we introduced law and order back in those days. 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. 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. Last year, officials seized more than 3 million fentanyl pills in Los . 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. Over 400 Pounds of Meth, Cocaine and Heroin were Discovered in Toolboxes. But crackdowns off Florida have pushed major importation routes westward, and the Colombian cartels now subcontract some of the smuggling duty to Mexican middlemen. 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. Australian cops announce $1B cocaine seizure, country's biggest bust ever 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. From the Archives: Gilroy meth bust largest In U.S. history - KSBW Investigators saw someone carry out three boxes from the home and put them in a vehicle, according to authorities. 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 record meth bust part of a national operation was announced Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020. With fentanyl driving fatal overdoses to record levels in the United States, state governments are scrambling for solutions. 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. 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 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. The L.A. plantations also hog water from local alfalfa, carrot, and potato farmers. The price is going to go up.. 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. Los Angeles records largest drug bust in sheriff's department history The drugs have an estimated street value of $33 million. 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 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. 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. DEA Acting Administrator Timothy J. Shea and other law enforcement officials displayed theevidence during a press conference at a DEA warehouse in Montebello. "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.