The investigation led to search warrants at multiple narcotic stash houses in Moreno Valley and Perris in Riverside County, officials said. "The bulk shipments of drugs are usually broken down into smaller quantities and transported to other states or distributed to local dealers.". The recently seized drugs stemmed from the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels in Mexico, Shea said. Authorities said it was the second-largest meth bust ever for Customs and Border Protection. 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 team, led by Detective Christopher MacAuley with the Sheriff's Office, included more than two dozen deputies accompanied by FBI and Homeland Security agents. Authorities said they found about 893 pounds of cocaine, 13 pounds of heroin and some 650 pounds of methamphetamine in the garage of a residence in Moreno Valley. 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. All rights reserved. Our free newsletter is delivered at 8 a.m. daily. 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. Man Accused Of Dumping Dog At Riverside County Cell Tower Arrested, Fill Up And Get A Fatburger To Go: Beyond Food Mart Coming To Beaumont, Big Bear Bald Eagles Lay First Egg of 2023. Alarmed, a construction worker called the cops, whosent a bomb squad. 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. Breaking News NBC Universal, Inc. A record meth bust part of a national operation was announced Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020. DEA cherishes our great law enforcement partners in San Diego, especially those who work tirelessly to protect our nations borders. Without knowing it, Beltran had told them exactly where to dig. The drugs seized at the location, which also included heroin and fentanyl, had a street value of about $7.2 million. 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 . Kathy Vara reports for the NBC4 News at 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 7, 2020. This is the third-busiest port of entry on the U.S.-Mexico border, and likely the largest for smuggled narcotics. By NBC12 Newsroom. More than 40,000 plants are spread out. Twenty-five duffel bags loaded with cocaine, heroin and meth were seized, according to the DEA. The driver was Javier Leon-Garcia, 53, a Moreno Valley resident who police say drove the drugs cross-country before being snagged. They probably didnt even know there was a pipeline beneath their feet, Moore said. Roughly 1,600 pounds of meth were also located at a narcotics stash house in Perris, officials said. / KCAL News. 5, 2020 at 11:29 AM PDT. "Study after study shows that where there is meth addiction, there is also an uptick in violent crime including robberies, assaults and murders.". This California farm kingdom holds a key, Six people, including mother and baby, killed in Tulare County; drug cartel suspected, These are the 101 best restaurants in Los Angeles, New Bay Area maps show hidden flood risk from sea level rise and groundwater, Gina Lollobrigida, film star who conquered Italy, Hollywood and the world, dies at 95, Storm sets new L.A. rain records. Thats why traffickers prefer to get the drugs here.. Ved klikke Godta alt godtar du at Yahoo og vre partnere vil behandle din personlige informasjon og bruke teknologier som informasjonskapsler, for vise personlig tilpassede annonser og innhold, for annonse- og innholdsmling, publikumsinnsikt og produktutvikling. RIVERSIDE, California (AP) A former U.S. In the early-morning hours of August 19, 2020, as the rest of Santa Barbara slept, a platoon of law enforcement officers lay wide awake in the thick chaparral above Arroyo Quemada Beach. Agents from Southwest Border Group 2 began investigating a large-scale drug trafficking organization with ties to the Sinaloa Cartel in San Diego's Otay Mesa area, allegedly involved in the transportation and delivery of large quantities of drugs. The Riverside office also seized nearly $47 million in cash, vehicles and guns during that three-year span. Tuesday, the Riverside police department announced the results of a three-month narcotics operation, in which undercover officers would buy illegal drugs from drug dealers. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. "The cartels are aware of law enforcement efforts at the border, so what they'll do is they'll flood the border with multiple vehicles coming through," said FBI agent Andrew Sharp. The truck driver, a 47year-old Mexican citizen, was arrested and turned over the custody of the joint investigative team from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration. "This massive seizure likely saved lives and prevented the Sinaloa Cartel from doing business and profiting on the lives of people in our communities.". 11/22/2022 1:58 PM. 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. On Jan. 10, 2006, a DEA wiretap intercepted a call to the house, which seemed mundane. The DEA's big bust came just a week before another huge meth seizure. We dont fish.. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here. 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. In total, CBP officers found approximately 3,014 pounds of methamphetamine, 64 pounds of heroin, 29 pounds of fentanyl powder and almost 37 pounds of fentanyl pills, worth an estimated $7.2 million. "Study after study shows that where there is meth addiction, there is also an uptick in violent crime, including robberies, assaults and murders.". 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. Even if Sinaloas dont move the drugs themselves, they tax any other cartel that ships narcotics through their territory, like a smuggling tollbooth. Operation Crystal Shield is a nationwide effort involving 70 to 80 investigators in nine cities including Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and Atlanta. The officer referred the driver, truck and shipment for a more intensive inspection, which is when the illicit contraband was discovered, according to the DEA. People who live in the Inland Empire said it was scary not knowing if the stash houses were located in their communities. The massive methamphetamine seizure was part of Operation Crystal Shield, a nationwide effort the DEA launched in February. Gone is the risk of meth lab explosions and violence between rival cooks and dealers. 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. 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. He pulled into the garage, then closed the door behind him. Agents seized more than 4,800 pounds of meth nationwide and are still working on more arrests, according to the DEA. Industrial-sized labs moved to Mexico, where American laws are meaningless, and cartels now smuggle their product to their customer base in the U.S. Superficially,the shift has made Riverside County safer. A total of 12 suspects have been arrested, with several more still outstanding. They. Whoops! Enter address: This website, like most media sites, uses small files called cookies to anonymously customize the advertising that you see. Brett Kelman, The Desert Sun, and Brad Heath, USA TODAY. #DEA Acting Administrator Timothy J. Shea, Special Agent in Charge Bill Bodner & local law enforcement discussing the largest domestic methamphetamine seizure in #DEA history. "The drugs that will kill you.". Operation Crystal Shield has been a nationwide effort involving 70 to 80 investigators in multiple cities, including Perris, Fontana, Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and Atlanta. ", 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. Later that day, Reyes husband returned to the house, driving a pickup truck. Originally from Miami, she holds a masters degree in journalism from USC. Another suspect allegedly sold drugs to undercover officers, just two hours after being released from jail on other charges. There seemed for a long time to be a rise of mom and pop meth labs in their homes, or out in a shack someplace, said Steve Harmon, the Riverside County Public Defender, who has practiced law here for nearly 40 years. Posted Wed, Jan 29, 2020 at 2:22 pm PT. Agents from Southwest Border Group 2 began investigating a large scale drug trafficking organization with ties to the Sinaloa Cartel in San Diego's Otay-Mesa area, allegedly involved in the transportation and delivery of large quantities of drugs. In the 80s and 90s, Riverside County was a hotbed for meth manufacturing, and meth labs flourished here, taking advantage of the countys empty spaces to hide the foul smell of urine and smoke produced by mixing chemicals. Luke Money is a Metro reporter covering breaking news at the Los Angeles Times. Help us grow with a monthly contribution. "The significant seizures thwarted drug traffickers' plans to profit from these dangerous drugs that cause incredible harm to our communities," Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian Rabbitt said. He says to hurry up and clean there because I think hes going to take visitors.. 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 investigation led to search warrants at multiple narcotic stash houses in Moreno Valley and Perris in Riverside County, officials said. "Drugs make people make bad decisions," said Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez. If Leon-Garcias truck had been stopped here, instead, the case would have been far less remarkable. Approx. 11/22/2022 12:00 AM. 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 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. Officials interdicting bundles of meth, heroin and fentanyl on Friday said it was the second-largest meth bust in Customs and Border Protection history. Her husband ran out the back door, vanishing into the desert. Vi, Yahoo, er en del av Yahoo-familien av merkevarer. Agents and drug dogs sweep the traffic, hunting for hidden narcotics, but there are far too many travelers to search them all. 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