Audio By Carbonatix
16 people were arrested and record-breaking quantities of fentanyl, cash, firearms, and vehicles were seized by federal authorities in a massive, multi-state operation this week. The U.S. Department of Justice called the arrests and seizures a major blow to “one of the largest and most dangerous drug trafficking organizations in U.S. history.”
“This historic drug seizure, led by the DEA, is a significant blow against the Sinaloa Cartel that removes poison from our streets and protects American citizens from the scourge of fentanyl,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice will continue working with our law enforcement partners to dismantle every cartel network operating illegally in the United States.”
DOJ
The record-setting operation took place across multiple states: New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. It involved the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division, the IRS Criminal Investigation, the Albuquerque Police Department, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, the Lea County Drug Task Force, the United States Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office, the Isleta Police Department, the Laguna Pueblo Police Department, the Pojoaque Police Department and the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Department.
DOJ
Approximately $4.77 million in U.S. currency, 49 firearms, 902 pounds of fentanyl pills, 25 pounds of fentanyl powder, 20 pounds of cocaine, 10 pounds of heroin, 80 pounds of methamphetamine, jewelry valued at $50,000, and five vehicles valued at $440,000 were seized during the operation.
“Behind the three million fentanyl pills we seized are destructive criminal acts thwarted and American lives saved. This wasn’t just a bust—it was a battlefield victory against a terrorist-backed network pumping death into our cities,” said DEA Acting Administrator Robert Murphy. “This case represents DEA’s largest single seizure of fentanyl pills to date. I commend the men and women of DEA for their extraordinary work, day in and day out, and I remind the cartels that DEA is relentlessly in pursuit and will not stop until we destroy your networks.”
DOJ
“Our communities are safer today because of the tireless dedication and coordination among federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico. “By dismantling one of the largest and most dangerous fentanyl trafficking organizations in U.S. history, we have removed millions of lethal doses from our streets and sent a clear message: those who profit from poisoning our citizens will be held accountable. The fight continues, but this operation marks a decisive step in protecting families across the western United States.”
DOJ