The DEA's big bust came just a week before another huge meth seizure. If convicted, they face mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years in federal prison, with a possible maximum sentence of life in prison. "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. "The total seized drugs have an estimated street value of $33 million.". Smugglers will try every way possible to try and get their product across the border; and because of the partnership between CBP, Homeland Security investigations and DEA, this significant seizure occurred and we stopped them, said Anne Maricich, acting CBP director of field operations in San Diego. The list of chores had been a code get the hiding places ready. 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. Contests & Promotions Two years before that, Riverside resident Hiram Granados Alvarez was sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempting to ship 220 pounds of cocaine to a drug ring in Baltimore. RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- Authorities busted one of the largest marijuana cultivations ever uncovered in the city of Riverside, officials said Friday. Police arrested 23 people in an operation designed to crack down on illegal drug sales in downtown Riverside. 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. pic.twitter.com/gdeO80nGNK. 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. They knew then it was probably dope.. "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 that have had to deal with the torrent of methamphetamine coming into their neighborhoods," he said. The Drug Enforcement Administration holds a news conference in Montebello, Calif., to announce the largest domestic meth seizure in the agency's history. 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. Agents seized more than 4,800 pounds of meth nationwide and are still working on more arrests, according to the DEA. On Oct. 9, U.S. Customs and Border Protection stopped a truck crossing from Mexico into the United States at San Diego's Otay . Other suspects are alleged to have then distributed the drugs to gang members across the Inland Empire. "The more dope we can take off the street, the safer a community it is for us.". On Friday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at an Otay Mesa commercial facility in San Diego County seized more than 3,100 pounds of methamphetamine, fentanyl powder, fentanyl pills and heroin as part what the DEA characterized as the second-largest methamphetamine bust along the southwest border in the history of the CBP. A nearly two-ton seizure of methamphetamine in Norco was the largest meth seizure documented by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Los Angeles Division, it was announced today. "The defendants were able to smuggle the drugs across the border during COVID, when it was more difficult to do.". In 2014, the county had 624 wiretaps, intercepting more than 2 million calls, texts and other communications involving more than 44,000 people. Without knowing it, Beltran had told them exactly where to dig. Published: Jun. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. Once smugglers pass Calexico, a majority follow one of two routes, DEA officials say. The entrance to a drug tunnel discovered by federal authorities in Otay Mesa, March 30, 2020. Authorities specifically mentioned two incidents of alleged drug smuggling along the southern border. 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 . Vi, Yahoo, er en del av Yahoo-familien av merkevarer. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) A pyramid of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin standing 10 feet tall with an estimated street value of $18.5 million was confiscated during two recent drug trafficking. From April to August 2020, Gomez and Rodriguez allegedly purchased methamphetamine from suppliers in Mexico as well as in Los Angeles and Riverside counties, according to investigators. Thats nearly one fourth as much meth, and one tenth as much heroin, as was seized by the entire DEA nationwide from 2012 to 2014. 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. RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- An early morning raid by federal and local authorities netted 12 arrests in the Riverside area on Wednesday, with authorities confiscating large amounts of weapons, cash and methamphetamine. Oct. 14, 2020. Bob Epps, the bomb squad supervisor. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. He says to hurry up and clean there because I think hes going to take visitors.. "I don't know how they hide that.". Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. Each suspect was charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. This black pipe, which shut down I-10 for about 30 minutes on Aug.18, was filled with a half-pound of methamphetamine, and had almost certainly fallen off an eastbound truck smuggling narcotics. Reyes surrendered. The DEA said the Los Angeles area is the preferred transportation hub for drug traffickers because it is north of the border and it is easier to blend into big cities. Fine white powder sprinkled out of the tiny holes. At the end of the month, a stakeout of the property led to federal agents and police officers arresting a man who was carrying heavy boxes out of the house and placing them in a vehicle, according to the DEA. However, even raw numbers reveal Riverside County as a centerpiece in U.S. drug trafficking, rivaling the nations largest cities. Heres a timeline, Crusading vet treats some of L.A.s most cherished residents: The pets of skid row, The Times podcast: How the California GOP lost its national sway, Veterans claim anti-vet bias in Metros choice of muralist for a new VA station, California faces catastrophic flood dangers and a need to invest billions in protection, Caregiver sentenced to life in prison for unspeakable sexual abuse of disabled children. "I can't bear to think about families coming here and shopping and knowing this is going on," Tanya Rivas, another shopper, said. Breaking News At Otay Mesa, agents said they confiscated 64 pounds of heroin, 29 pounds of fentanyl powder and roughly 35 pounds of counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl. DEA Acting Administrator Timothy J. Shea and other law enforcement officials displayed theevidence during a press conference at a DEA warehouse in Montebello. Postal Service and private vehicles to ship large quantities of cocaine and other narcotics to buyers across the country. "Meth, heroin, cocaine," said city councilman Mike Gardner. Informasjon om enheten din og Internett-tilkoblingen, blant annet IP-adressen, Surfe- og skeaktivitet ved bruk av Yahoos nettsteder og apper. News Channel 3 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation. Also seized were 893 pounds (405 kilograms) of cocaine and 13 pounds (5.9 kilograms) of heroin. "Drugs make people make bad decisions," said Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez. 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. This is a tough time for everybody, and some people turn to drugs to deal with that, he said, adding that many in-house-treatment options have been curtailed due to the coronavirus. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. (DEA) MORENO VALLEY, CA Federal agents on Wednesday announced what they called the largest methamphetamine bust by Drug Enforcement Agency . This massive seizure is testament of what law enforcement agencies can do when we combine forces prevent over $7 million worth of deadly drugs from entering our country, thus saving countless lives from addiction and overdose deaths, said DEA Special Agent in Charge John W. Callery. Brett Kelman, The Desert Sun, and Brad Heath, USA TODAY. MORENO VALLEY, CA Federal agents on Wednesday announced what they called the largest methamphetamine bust by Drug Enforcement Agency investigators in domestic U.S. history, displaying a 10-foot-high pile of the drug weighing more than 3 tons seized at stash houses in Riverside County. 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. From the Sinaloa territory, drugs enter the country in Calexico, a border town in Imperial County. Last year, four Coachella men were indicted as part of a conspiracy to move millions in Sinaloa drug profits from Canada to Mexico. Two duffel bags replete with narcotics allegedly changed hands. We will continue to work together to disrupt drug trafficking organizations at every opportunity we are given.. Help us grow with a monthly contribution. Border Patrol officials said this summer that the quantity of meth and heroin theyre intercepting now is 10 times higher than it was a decade ago. The historic Southern California seizure stemmed from a shadowing operation on Oct. 2, when investigators observed a courier make a drop in a Sam's Club parking lot in Moreno Valley. The Southern California seizure occurred on Oct. 2 and included 893 pounds of cocaine, 13 pounds of heroin and 2,200 pounds of methamphetamine. Police listened as Beltran described how he got the meth in Mexico, then buried it at the abandoned house in Lake Elsinorefor safekeeping until it could be sold. According to the DEA, agents worked in concert with the Fontana Police Department to interdict a drug supply operation run by the Sinaloa Cartel, with a residence in Norco serving as a major piece of the pipeline. Be the first to know when news breaks in Coachella Valley. The biggest haul was in Perris, where DEA agents and investigators from several . 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. March 17, 2022 Trevor Montgomery. It looks just like someone coming home from work.. First, they had caught a street-level dealer in Temecula with 33 grams. RIVERSIDE, California (AP) A former U.S. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. How To Sign Up, Name That Species: What In The World Is This Strange Creature? Officials interdicting bundles of meth, heroin and fentanyl on Friday said it was the second-largest meth bust in Customs and Border Protection history. 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. The scope is enormous here, and then spreads through to everywhere, said a Coachella Valley DEA agent, who asked not to be identified to preserve his undercover work. My guys are all cops, and they could tell it wasnt explosives, said Sgt. (Video), Easter, Passover Services In Banning, Beaumont, Riverside County: 2022. The Sinaloas have been linked to 90 percent of the drugs that move through Southern California, said Dave Stinnett, an intelligence analystwith the DEAs Los Angeles division. 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. They wheeleda bomb-disposal robot toward the pipe, pointing a shotgun-like weapon designed to destroy any explosives inside. Beltran had told them exactly where to dig toward the pipe, pointing a shotgun-like weapon designed to down. Dea officials say items to arrestreports @ patch.com just a week before another huge meth.... In Temecula with 33 grams territory, drugs enter the country in Calexico, a majority follow one two... A week before another huge meth seizure and 2,200 pounds of cocaine and narcotics. 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