DEA Acting Administrator Timothy J. Shea and other law enforcement officials displayed theevidence during a press conference at a DEA warehouse in Montebello. Atty. 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 department brought in massive bulldozers to raid the scene, completely leveling the illegal grows and there are reportedly hundreds more to tackle. 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. Just north of L.A. in Antelope Valley,. 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. Also seized were 893 pounds (405 kilograms) of cocaine and 13 pounds (5.9 kilograms) of heroin. The drugs have an estimated street value of $33 million. We are very very close to driving down the freeway and seeing bodies hanging from the overpasses. 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 record-breaking bust is the largest seizure of fentanyl pills DEA has made in California," the news release said. #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. Read the original article below and watch our original report from . 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. They allegedly seized 444 kilograms of cocaine, 157 kilograms of crystal meth, 427 kilograms of marijuana and 300 oxycodone pills. Major Joint-Operation underway in the High Desert to take down Illegal Cartel Operated Marijuana Groves impacting farmers, families, and businesses. One of the trailers was still parked by the warehouse door on Friday. Federal authorities on Wednesday showed off results of Southern California raids early this month that. 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. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. 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. A furry hero sniffs out one of the largest drug busts in Fontana. More than 200 locations were served with search warrants. 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. 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.. 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. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Another was arrested at about the same time at the Marriott Hotel in Woodland Hills. ET: This story has been updated with statements from Salinas Police Departmen press information officer Miguel Cabrera and Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni. 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 men were charged with importation and distribution of narcotics, the Sun said. Detectives found that the average size per cultivation at farms increased to 15 greenhouses, up from eight per farm in the year prior. Large quantities of the drug have been discovered in trucks that entered the country through the Otay Mesa commercial point of entry before. 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. If convicted of all charges, both face a maximum sentence of 37 years and 4 months, according to the D.A.s office. But crackdowns off Florida have pushed major importation routes westward, and the Colombian cartels now subcontract some of the smuggling duty to Mexican middlemen. 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. 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. Agents tracked the group to a spot in San Diego County's National City after noticing that a 20-foot-long commercial box truck had crossed the border between Mexico and the U.S. through an entry point in Otay Mesa, near Tijuana. The drug is often mixed with cocaine and methamphetamine, and many victims do not know they are ingesting fentanyl. The smugglers then deliver the cocaine to Colombian traffickers in major cities. 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. 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. "And we introduced law and order back in those days. An international drug ring was busted following a joint operation between the US and . One was arrested early Friday at the Beverly Hills Hotel. 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. 30-year-old Dalton Clayton is charged with possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and other counts. That is the equivalent of about 90 million rocks--the crystalline, pea-sized chunks of the drug commonly sold on the street. All rights reserved. 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. 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. Authorities seize over 400 pounds of meth, cocaine and heroin in toolboxes at California border crossing. 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. 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. published to the Salinas Police Department Facebook page, Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. Both vehicles allegedly contained about 148 bundles of a material that tested positive for methamphetamine, according to the statement. "This massive seizure likely saved lives and prevented the Sinaloa Cartel from doing business and profiting on the lives of people in our communities.". 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. 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. in more than a decade, authorities say Photos supplied by Orange County district attorney's office showing the 821 pounds of. 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. / CBS News. I dont know which, but either gives me the shivers.. Discovery Company. Market data provided by Factset. "Synthetic drugs like methamphetamine are highly addictive, dangerous and killing people at alarming rates," said DEA Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Bill Bodner. 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. They said they were dealing in paintings, velvet paintings, said David Barron, owner of the construction business. Successful seizures like these save lives and reduce the exploitation and victimization of our local communities, Bodner said. That seizure carried an estimated street value of $2.56 million, CBP said. 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 investigation led to search warrants at multiple narcotic stash houses in Moreno Valley and Perris in Riverside County, officials said. 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. "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. Sign up for FOX 11s Fast 5 newsletter. 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. All Rights Reserved. The DEA's big bust came just a week before another huge meth seizure. Atty. The operation found that NorCal Transportation was directly connected to the Sinaloa Cartel. The 10-day sting. 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 . According to the criminal complaint, on February 13th, the task force got a tip Clayton . 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. National correspondent Bill Melugin reports on the major drug raid allegedly tied to Mexican cartels. The Facebook post noted that police believe the items seized were proceeds from the sale of the narcotics. Did you encounter any technical issues? Three additional arrests reportedly occurred in Las Vegas Friday. The search at the Sherman Oaks apartment turned up little, but Dist. This is not just powder on the table, said Donald Hamilton, a DEA spokesman in Washington. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 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 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. 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. They have pleaded not guilty and remain in custody on $5-million bail, the D.A.s office said. With fentanyl driving fatal overdoses to record levels in the United States, state governments are scrambling for solutions. 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. 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. Teachers learn to administer Narcan amid opioid crisis. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. or redistributed. 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. 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. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. "The biggest thanks is going to have to go to my detectives for their hard work," said Acting Salinas Police Chief Roberto Filice. Tori B. Powell is a breaking news reporter at CBS News. 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 eight face charges that include conspiracy to transport and distribute narcotics, firearms possession, gang enhancement and conspiracy to commit murder. Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. Its going to bring tears to some peoples eyes, Gates said. 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. During the investigation, DEA agents and officers, along with the Fontana Police Department, identified a house in Norco where drugs were being stored. How is that money being used? Hazell said the surveillance team obtained a warrant and searched the car, finding 20 kilograms of cocaine in the trunk. Biggest drug bust goes down in LA sheriff department history. 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. Now, come 2021, were going to have to redo the same concept. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Updated 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. 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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. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 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. 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 . 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. Click here for mor. The investigation is continuing.. 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. DEA CNN More than 5,000 pounds of methamphetamine were seized this week after authorities in San Diego. A record meth bust part of a national operation was announced Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Legal Statement. 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. 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. HARRIS MEETS WITH MEXICAN PRESIDENT AMID CRITICISM OVER MIGRANT REMARKS, LACK OF BORDER VISIT. appreciated. 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. The Otay Mesa, California, Commercial. 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. 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. 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. 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. Until the seizure in Sylmar, the largest haul occurred on March 10, 1984, when officials seized 11 tons of cocaine in Tranquilandia, Colombia. 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 . 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. "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. The bundles found in the boxes tested positive for methamphetamine, according to the statement. 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. 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. Get your top stories delivered daily! A number of law enforcement agencies worked together on a five-month investigation that led to a drug bust. She called on the district attorney to prosecute those arrested in the operation. 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 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. The one-story warehouse is located in an industrial park in Sylmar, a developing district on the northern edge of Los Angeles. "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. Agents seized more than 4,800 pounds of meth nationwide and are still working on more arrests, according to the DEA. Though it is typically used to treat severe pain, it is also used recreationally. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 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.. Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department documented the biggest drug bust in its history on Tuesday and officials expect Mexican cartels are to blame. 6:23 AM EDT, Sat July 9, 2022. They worked with authorities in Arizona and it started to grow. 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. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. That is what's coming.". While California legalized therecreational use of marijuana in 2018, illegal grows of the crop have been on the rise in the state. A record meth bust part of a national operation was announced Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020. 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. 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. 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 cocaine, believed destined for Los Angeles, was 90 percent pure and of Colombian origin, said Ted Hunter, special agent with the federal Drug Enforcement . 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. Authorities seized . Agents said the confiscated drugs will be inventoried at the warehouse before being taken to a federal facility for safekeeping. 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. More than 170 law enforcement personnel aided in the search warrants and helped in the apprehension of the suspects. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Todd Spitzer said in a statement about the bust. Los Angeles police said the total amount of cocaine seized in Sylmar was 39,600 pounds, or 19.8 tons. 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. 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 . If convicted, such charges carry substantial maximum penalties that include a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison along with a $10 million fine. Investigators saw someone carry out three boxes from the home and put them in a vehicle, according to authorities. Updated 09/21/2021, 5:55 p.m. A tip from an informant led to a record drug bust. according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. A Warner Bros. Officials say they believe international cartels are behind the illegal large-scale marijuana farms. They also found $966,000 in cash and seized five tractor-trailers. Norfolk Southern train derails in Springfield, Ohio, At least 12 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, Trump speaks at CPAC after winning straw poll, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant to "take some time away" from the team after allegedly brandishing a gun in a club, How Paul Murdaugh testified "from the grave" to help convict his father, Man charged for alleged involvement in 2 transformer explosions, Promising drug could provide alternative to statins, new study finds, Iran to allow more inspections at nuclear sites, U.N. says, NTSB to investigate in-flight turbulence that left 1 passenger dead, Largest meth bust in DEA history made in California. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. "Our fight is to keep our community safe, so I will take a moment to thank our community for your support.".