The giant haul had been divided into 633 packages that were stashed in a hidden compartment, each of which would have been repackaged for distribution in Texas, Chicago, St. Louis, and Atlanta. It was at that location where officials say they found more than 190 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine, and nearly 60 kilograms of crystal meth. An additional four guns were recovered at other search locations. Copyright 2022 KWTX. Defendant Healer engaged in an armed stand-off with law enforcement today. Jose Francisco Gutierrez, age 33 of Killeen; During a search of the residence where Iris Amador-Garcia was living with her brother and co-conspirator, Mario Amador-Garcia, 31, and co-conspirator, Bayron Eberto Garcia-Perez, 33, agents seized a kilogram of fentanyl or heroin, 80,000 pills of suspected fentanyl, and 2 firearms. All rights reserved. 4 men arrested after DPS troopers announce fentanyl bust in NW Houston. While officials would not confirm how many people were arrested, they did say they believe the narcotics are from a cartel. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to stop the widespread harm these illicit substances cause our friends, families, and neighbors.. Colton Lane Lewis, age 30 of Temple; According to records filed in the case, the investigation began in February 2020. Todays successful operation should give members of the community a level of comfort in knowing these violent offenders, who live and walk among us, wont be putting their lives in danger any longer., These warrants represent the continued efforts of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI) to ensure the safety of our communities, said IRS:CI acting Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes. Drug ledgers were also found, which contained customer and payment information, in addition to 14 firearms, some of them loaded. Banyan Texas is a rehab center in Waelder that offers various levels of substance abuse treatment to help people who are suffering from drug addictions and want to recover their sobriety. Teams from the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and Dallas, Fort Worth, Mansfield and River Oaks police departments were a part of the joint operation. Later that evening, officers encountered a daily express consignment truck hauling a shipment of vinyl samples arriving from Mexico. Bobby Quinton Gentile, age 43 of Holland; 27, law enforcement officers with the Drug Enforcement Agency, Texas Rangers, Texas Department of Public Safety, Brady . The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 51.79.248.208 This drug organization trafficked two of the deadliest substances we are seeing in our community fentanyl and methamphetamine, said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. bust in U.S. history, finding more than 5,528 pounds of the drug . Sheriff Javier . Twenty Central Texans are facing federal drug trafficking and firearms charges stemming from five separate, but related, federal grand jury indictments. |, 2020 Drug Enforcement Administration National Drug Threat Assessment, Cocaine, Firearms, $1.6 Million Cash Recovered In Drug Bust, DEAs Dallas office announces seizure of $45 million in meth, heroin its largest bust ever, $1 million meth bust in Liberty County could be biggest one ever in countys history, More than $3.4 million in methamphetamines, other narcotics seized in north Houston, What You Should Know About Drug Metabolism. Agents swarmed a house at around 7 a.m. Thursday on FM 2271 just north of the Miller Springs Nature Center on the edge of Lake Belton in Temple, as part of the enforcement action. "It's a staggering amount to be seized at one time," Eduardo Chavez, the special agent in charge for DEA Dallas, told local TV station WFAA. The group is accused of conspiring to distribute multiple kilograms of methamphetamine in Bell County and surrounding areas since January 2020. The alleged leaders of the drug distribution ring, Jose Maldonado-Ramirez, 33, and his fianc, Iris Amador-Garcia, 30, of Bellflower, California, were arrested October 28, 2021. Roberts and Keith are both accused of distributing drugs in the Bellmead area. "We continue to seize these large amounts of drugs, and what we want our constituents to know and the good citizens of Tarrant County to know [is that] this is a clear and present danger to us until we continue this fight," said Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn. Chavez is charged with manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance (penalty group 1) over 400 grams, a first-degree felony. This federal grand jury indictment charges 43-year-old Lori Oliphint of Temple with possession with intent to distribute under 50 grams of methamphetamine on August 19, 2020. BATON ROUGE - On Saturday deputies shutdown a large drug operations near S . These smaller bags wouldve been used for drug distribution. If convicted, Oliphint faces up to 20 years in federal prison. (KELO) -A major drug bust Tuesday night in Sioux Falls involving potentially dozens of deadly doses of fentanyl. The Delhi Police on Wednesday destroyed over 2,800 kgs of . Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The second indictment charges 35-year-old Cory Joe Barton of Gatesville with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The haul was the largest meth bust in North Texas's history. (Denison Police Dept.) The seizure totaled out to $3.4 million of meth. More than $45 million of methamphetamine has been seized in a drug bust in Texas. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. . One additional defendant was arrested today with 2 pounds of methamphetamine, three rifles, and a shotgun. This story has been shared 154,083 times. Pompano Beach, FL 33062. In 2011, Lewis was convicted on federal charges of manufacturing counterfeit currency. Lori Oliphint, 43, of Temple was named in an indictment charging possession with intent to distribute less than 50 grams of methamphetamine. The six indictments, returned by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on August 24, 2021,were unsealed today (August 31, 2021). Homeland Security said the bust was part of a joint operation that included the DEA, ATF, Houston police and fire, Texas DPS and Harris County Pct. Texas couple accused of dealing fentanyl to minors, causing 3 deaths. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Below is a list of recent Texas drug busts that have seized record amounts of drugs. To access the data used to build this dashboard, please visit the CBP Data Portal. Thirteen of the defendants were arrested over the past two days. The White House did not immediately respond to The Posts request for comment on the matter. Barton, who was arrested earlier, faces 10 years to life in prison if convicted. "[This] city-wide, cooperative law enforcement efforts to disrupt the methamphetamine and cocaine trafficking in our city was a tremendous success," Chavez said at the time. Ryan Howard, spokesman for DPS. Aug 31, 2021 Updated Dec 7, 2021. Authorities arrested Guthrie last night. New Zealand police find 3.5 tons of cocaine in Pacific Ocean. The separate but related investigations were conducted by the FBI, Temple Police Department, Killeen Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety Narcotics Division and Drug Enforcement Agency. Drugs Texas DEA Crime. Kayli Marie Guthrie of Temple, 21, is named in an indictment charging possession of a firearm by a convicted felon that alleges she was in possession of a .45 caliber Colt handgun on May 21, 2020 after she was convicted on March 27, 2020 in Bell County of possession of a controlled substance and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Aleah Freitag, age 29 of Rockdale; It was recently . In a recent drug bust in Texas, federal and local law enforcement recovered more than a . This federal grand jury indictment charges 31-year-old Annie Rose Lewis of Temple with one count of convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Drug and alcohol addiction is a nationwide epidemic, please reach out if you or a loved one is suffering. Suite 115 Published: Aug. 26, 2022 at 6:40 . The indictment alleges that on December 21, 2020, Lewis possessed a .380 caliber pistol. That opens up large gaps of tens, or sometimes hundreds of miles, where the drug cartels have the ability to get fentanyl across the border.. The second operation began with the investigation of a stolen vehicle parked outside a business. ", Chavez added: "I see a lot of lives saved when we can stack up kilograms of drugs like this on a table. (KWTX) - Federal agents swept through Central Texas on Thursday and Friday and arrested 15 area residents named in sealed drug trafficking and firearms indictments, the U.S. Attorney's Office . OVer the past two days, federal, state and local authorities arrested 13 of the above defendants. An indictment should not be considered evidence of guilty. Unaccompanied minors, they surge the border, Border Patrol officers get fully occupied simply processing, the people coming across the border, he continued. The Drug Enforcement Administration led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland . Screenshot from Bexar County Sheriff video. Please enter valid email address to continue. Heroin is one of the many opioids that have contributed to the increasing rate of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. Oliphint was arrested Thursday, April 15, 2021. Deputies confiscate $1.3 million worth of heroin and other narcotics in major drug bust. The amount of heroin seized by DEA Field Divisions increased by 30% from 2018 to 2019, with the largest amounts of heroin seized in Texas, California, Arizona, and New York. Click to reveal This story has been shared 168,313 times. The first indictment charges 16 Central Texans with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The drugs are estimated to have a street value of $397,120. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. Anthony Gutierrez, Jose Gutierrez, Crigger, Gentile, Sutton and Warrick face between 10 years and life in federal prison upon conviction because the quantity level charged is at least 500 grams. WACO, Texas (KWTX) - McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara is praising the work of his deputies and fellow law enforcement officers after an operation - hailed as the biggest meth bust in the history of the McLennan County Sheriffs Office - led to three arrests and the seizure of more than $500,000 in methamphetamine. The east lane of FM 2271 was closed for several hours, and authorities funneled traffic into the west lane of FM 2271 on both sides of the Lake Belton Dam. 0:00. SAN ANTONIO - Three people are in custody and are expected to face federal charges following a drug bust on the North Side, according to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office. If convicted, Lewis faces up to 10 years in federal prison. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Carlos Avila, age 38 of Buckholts; Frank Medina Jr, age 43 of Temple; 2021 / 8:48 AM / CBS Texas . Performance & security by Cloudflare. "No doubt, this got his attention. The most recent tally shows they found 6,000 pounds of meth, increasing the street value to about $1 million. And while they were at it, they grabbed 65 vehicles, nearly 200 animals, and close to . 25 kilograms of meth seized in Cloverleaf area, Texas DPS says. The operations resulted in the confiscation of some 451 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, and 192 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine, or a total of 1,414 pounds. As of 15 December 2021 the Drug Seizures dashboard now includes seizures of all drug types. India News | Press Trust of India | Wednesday December 21, 2022. Sheriff's say after an investigation and surveillance they located a lab where liquid meth was being converted into crystal meth. Central Americans looking for refuge from the Northern Triangle countries Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras have taken these policy moves, as well as the overwhelmingly more welcoming tone from Democrats, as a sign that Biden is inviting them to cross the border. Federal agents arrest more than a dozen local residents named in drug trafficking and firearms indictments, Assistant district attorney from Williamson County suspended after DWI wreck in Hewitt, New non-profit coming to Bell County in fight against homelessness, Change was like night and day: Mother testifies in retrial of ex-Waco day care owner charged in childs overdose death, Impacts of four-day week on school support staff. Law enforcement officials say the drug investigations are ongoing. Greg Abbott said he planned to soon sign a bill that had passed the Texas Senate, as overdose cases on the synthetic opioid spike. The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Seattle Field Division (SFD) Tacoma Resident Office (TRO) and Bremerton Police Department (BPD), with assistance from Tahoma Narcotics Enforcement (TNET); the Seattle, Puyallup, Auburn, Federal Way, Kent, Bonney Lake, Tacoma, and Lakewood Police Departments; the Pierce County Sheriffs Office; Washington State Department of Corrections; Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team (JNET): Centralia and Chehalis Police Departments; Valley Narcotics Enforcement Team (VNET); and Washington State Patrol; Thurston Narcotics Team (TNT), Kitsap County Sheriffs Office, and Mason County Sheriffs Office; United States Postal Inspections Service (USPIS), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) with support from Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas ( HIDTA).