The seizures by the two agencies are more than enough to provide a dose of meth for every man, woman and child in the United States and Mexico, Timothy Shea, acting administrator of the DEA, said Wednesday at a warehouse in Montebello. Although this stash house was busted, no one knows how many remain undetected, small cogs in Riverside Countys gigantic drug smuggling machine. That's nearly. However, another federal agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, netted an even bigger amount of meth the following week. "That's a bad combination.". More than 40,000 plants are spread out. Around 9:45 a.m. Friday, a driver arrived at a cargo border crossing with a tractor-trailer shipment that was manifested as medical supplies. Between the two homes, detectives seized 25 duffle bags of drugs containing 2,200 pounds of meth, 460 kilograms of cocaine and six kilograms of heroin. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration announced a record-breaking bust Wednesday: roughly 2,224 pounds of methamphetamine recovered in Riverside County. Keep up with all the latest news, arts and culture, and TV highlights from KPBS. Despite the significant number of arrests, they said the massive size of these criminal drug rings is discouraging. They say the operation was a direct result of complaints made by city residents and business owners, not just in the downtown area, but the Magnolia Center and La Sierra. Last year, four Coachella men were indicted as part of a conspiracy to move millions in Sinaloa drug profits from Canada to Mexico. Whoops! "This is enough dope to provide a dose of meth for every man, woman and child in the United States and Mexico," DEA Acting Administrator Timothy Shea said. How To Sign Up, Name That Species: What In The World Is This Strange Creature? All rights reserved. Be the first to know when news breaks in Coachella Valley. Each suspect was charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. NBC Universal, Inc. A record meth bust part of a national operation was announced Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020. The Southern California seizure occurred on Oct. 2 and included 893 pounds of cocaine, 13 pounds of heroin and 2,200 pounds of methamphetamine. Severe Weather "These two seizures are more than enough to provide a dose of meth for every man, woman and child in the United States and Mexico," Timothy Shea, DEA acting administrator, said. A total of 23 arrests were made late last week during a warrant sweep. The department said members of its DEA task force has been on the trail of the massive drug ring with ties to the Sinaloa drug cartel since June. Jawara, Earlington lead San Diego to OT win over Riverside December 20, 2022 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 of more than 2,200 pounds seized at stash houses in Riverside County, along with cocaine and heroin. The investigation led to the seizure of dozens of kilos of illegal drugs - including 21 kilos of suspected carfentanil. But danger still brews below the surface. RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- Authorities busted one of the largest marijuana cultivations ever uncovered in the city of Riverside, officials said Friday. "When someone is on supervised release, the expectation is that they will refrain from committing further crimes," said Diaz. The Drug Enforcement Administration holds a news conference in Montebello, Calif., to announce the largest domestic meth seizure in the agency's history. Shea said the United States saw a 25% increase in meth overdoses last year alone and emphasized the drugs damaging effects on communities, which often see an accompanying uptick in violent crimes including robberies, assaults and murders. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration announced a record-breaking bust Wednesday: roughly 2,224 pounds of methamphetamine recovered in Riverside County. Authorities said the Oct. 2 take, which involved two locations, in Moreno Valley and Perris, represents the largest domestic seizure of the narcotic in the agency's history. The entrance to a drug tunnel discovered by federal authorities in Otay Mesa, March 30, 2020. 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. Hailing from Temecula, she previously covered Riverside County and the Inland Empire and is now focused on Orange County. Please reload the page and try again. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. Now beyond the reach of the Border Patrol, the drugs settle into stash houses, which masquerade as family homes and legitimate businesses in the innocuous suburbs. If convicted, they face mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years in federal prison, with a possible maximum sentence of life in prison. The DEAs Timothy Shea, left, and Bill Bodner stand next to a pyramid comprised of 2,224 pounds of methamphetamine, 893 pounds of cocaine and 13 pounds of heroin. Mop the kitchen. On April 5, 2011, Deputy Gerald Rohn, of the Riverside County Sheriffs Department, dug into the side yard of an abandoned house in Lake Elsinore. Like in Riverside, drug seizures along that stretch of border have gone up dramatically. The team, led by Detective Christopher MacAuley with the Sheriff's Office, included more than two dozen deputies accompanied by FBI and Homeland Security agents. Representatives of the Riverside Police Department, Riverside County Sheriff's Department, FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration attended the news conference. We will continue to work together to disrupt drug trafficking organizations at every opportunity we are given.. The statistics are not perfectly comparable because the Riverside seizure totals were provided only by fiscal year and national totals were provided only by calendar year. "Study after study shows that where there is meth addiction, there is also an uptick in violent crime including robberies, assaults and murders.". Contests & Promotions He says to hurry up and clean there because I think hes going to take visitors.. The Riverside office also seized nearly $47 million in cash, vehicles and guns during that three-year span. It looks just like someone coming home from work.. A raid by federal and local authorities netted 12 arrests in the Riverside area, with authorities confiscating large amounts of weapons, cash and methamphetamine. "I can't bear to think about families coming here and shopping and knowing this is going on," Tanya Rivas, another shopper, said. DEA agents make historic $33M drug bust in Riverside County DEA Los Angeles A nearly two-ton seizure of methamphetamine in Norco was the largest meth seizure documented by the U.S. Drug. Online Volunteer Info Session- Learn How to Advocate for Youth in Foster Care! 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. More than 1.5M positive COVID-19 cases since 2020. The drugs are alleged to have been stored in hidden compartments in their vehicles. They probably didnt even know there was a pipeline beneath their feet, Moore said. HOPEWELL, Va. (WWBT) - Hopewell police arrested two people during an early morning drug bust. Seized heroin has been mostly white powder, rather than black tar, and officials believe these shipments are intended for East Coast markets, where white powder heroin is more popular. "The drugs that will kill you.". Wiretaps are requiredto be last resorts for law enforcement, used only when surveillance, informants and other investigatory tools have failed. If they push an investigation far enough, there is an excellent chance its going to make it back here, said Tim Massino, a DEA spokesman. Instead, there isa low-profile,commercialized pipeline, where violence would only cut into high profits, DEA officials say. It is not uncommon for a case that was initiated across the country say in Chicago, Atlanta or Little Rock to ultimately lead back to this area.. 11/22/2022 1:58 PM. Over a three-year period that ended in September, the Riverside DEA Office, which also covers San Bernardino County, has seized about 6,500 poundsof meth and 770 poundsof heroin. The massive methamphetamine seizure was part of Operation Crystal Shield, a nationwide effort the DEA launched in February. Redding felon's drug sales arrest marks second drug bust in 11 days - Woman also arrested . Without knowing it, Beltran had told them exactly where to dig. 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Drug profits, often in bales of cash, follow the same path back to Mexico. This was a rare momentwhen Riverside Countys secret drug pipeline a cross-countryconduit for tons of meth and heroin accidentally exposed itself to the outside world. YREKA, Calif., For the fourth time in just over five weeks, members of Siskiyou County's new Domestic Highway Enforcement (DHE) Team made a significant drug bust while patrolling the I-5 corridor through Siskiyou County last Thursday, March 10. The Riverside County Sheriff's Office will be hosting a Deputy Sheriff and Correctional Deputy Expedited Hiring Event on Saturday, February 18, 2023, at Palm Desert High School, 74910 Az. Police say most of the suspects arrested have prior criminal records. Gone is the risk of meth lab explosions and violence between rival cooks and dealers. First, they had caught a street-level dealer in Temecula with 33 grams. According to the DEA, an investigation into transportation and supply of illegal drugs flowing into the country from south of the border focused on the Sinaloa cartel, which has been operating in the Otay Mesa area. Agents seized more than 4,800 pounds of meth nationwide and are still working on more arrests, according to the DEA. Riverside County has become the single largest drug trafficking distribution center in the United States, built on a web of highways, nondescriptsuburbia and empty desert, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. No charges have yet been filed in the latest seizures, although authorities said cases would likely be prosecuted in both California and Washington, D.C. Todays seizure sends a message loud and clear, Shea said Wednesday. 1/15/2023 Moore, Ezekiel Age: 34 Sex: M Arrest Date\Time: 1/15/2023 4:48:00 AM Case Number: 13-004901 PARMELE ST Rockford, IL 61104 Arrest Location: Rockford, IL RIVERSIDE - In what is believed to likely be the largest seizure of carfentanil in Riverside County, a Perris man and woman have been charged by the DA's Office with four drug-related felonies after a lengthy investigation by the Riverside Police Department. A total of 23 arrests . Had they not been seized, the drugs would have infiltrated Los Angeles within a day, according to Bill Bodner, special agent in charge of the DEAs Los Angeles Division. News Channel 3 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation. Feds Bust Up Inland Empire Drug-Trafficking Ring . Polar bear kills woman, boy in remote Alaska village, Man gets 30 years in prison in road rage killing of teen Astros fan, Video shows toddler waving handgun outside apartment; man arrested. Thats why traffickers prefer to get the drugs here.. In total, 1088. The biggest haul was in Perris, where DEA agents and investigators from several municipal police departments last week confiscated 2,224 pounds of meth, 893 pounds of cocaine and 13 pounds of heroin, according to Shea. Agents seized more than 5,000 pounds of meth nationwide and are still working on more arrests, according to the DEA. The DEA said it represented the single "largest seizure" of meth that the agency's Los Angeles personnel had ever made. PublishedOctober 14, 2020 at 10:51 AM PDT. "They can break the drug loads down and do distribution throughout the country," Bodner said. In another seizure earlier this month in San Diego, customs and border patrol agents confiscated 3,000 pounds of meth, 29 kilograms of heroin and 29 kilograms of fentanyl-laced powder and pills. Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. Diaz says it illustrates frustrations he has with other aspects of the criminal justice system. DEA officials say the smuggled narcotics flow from Mexicos Sinaloa Cartel through Riverside County stash houses en route to sellers markets in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Canada. A furry hero sniffs out one of the largest drug busts in Fontana. Agents seized more than 4,800 pounds of meth nationwide and are still working on more arrests, according to the DEA. First published on October 14, 2020 / 10:20 PM. 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. Stephanie Lai was a 2020 intern for the Los Angeles Times. All rights reserved. More than 70 investigators worked the two California cases, which included extensive fieldwork and surveillance. "Someone who's responsible for this quantity of drugs is someone who is very, very trusted by the cartel," Bill Bodner, the special agent in charge of the Los Angeles DEA, said. MORENO VALLEY (CBSLA) - Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department seized over a thousand marijuana plants from an illegal grow house in Moreno Valley on Friday. Officials interdicting bundles of meth, heroin and fentanyl on Friday said it was the second-largest meth bust in Customs and Border Protection history. All you really need is a big garage and a garage door opener, Moore said. Alarmed, a construction worker called the cops, whosent a bomb squad. The DEA says ruralareas are ideal for stash houses because they are difficult to monitor, but other experts said surroundings dont really matter. All rights reserved. Download the News Channel 3 app here. Narcotics detectives with the Fontana Police Department spotted the exchange. Kathy Vara reports for the NBC4 News at 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 7, 2020. The loose dirt turned easy. It was the quintessential pipe bomb, about a foot long and an inch-and-a-half wide, with caps on both ends. DEA cherishes our great law enforcement partners in San Diego, especially those who work tirelessly to protect our nations borders. 11/22/2022 12:00 AM. Meth is an especially vicious drug, he said. The biggest haul was in Perris, where DEA agents and investigators from several . Traditionally, L.A. is the transportation hub, he said, noting that the city is north of many immigration checkpoints and is home to four airports, numerous freeways and countless package distribution centers. Luke Money is a Metro reporter covering breaking news at the Los Angeles Times. The end result is an invisible network, valued in the billions of dollars, that weaves through the county, hidden within the same shipping and trucking lanes that carry agriculture and commercial goods from Mexico. January 10, 2023 at 5:40 p.m. Operation Crystal Shield is a nationwide effort involving 70 to 80 investigators in nine cities including Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and Atlanta. / KCAL News. Enter address: This website, like most media sites, uses small files called cookies to anonymously customize the advertising that you see. The DEA's big bust came just a week before another huge meth seizure. In April, Arkansas State Police found 275 poundsof meth worth an estimated $10 million hidden in a semi-truck on Interstate 40, about 10 miles east of Little Rock. Anonymously customize the advertising that you see, which included extensive fieldwork and surveillance 10 years in federal,... 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