A total of 23 arrests were made late last week during a warrant sweep. 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. Operation Crystal Shield is a nationwide effort involving 70 to 80 investigators in nine cities including Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and Atlanta. Breaking News The deputy was not surprised. 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. 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. 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. Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. REDDING, Calif., For the second time in less than two weeks a Redding felon, who was already on probation for drug sales, was busted again for fentanyl possession and sales yesterday after a citizen's tip led officers to an apartment the man . From the Sinaloa territory, drugs enter the country in Calexico, a border town in Imperial County. Meth is an especially vicious drug, he said. "The more dope we can take off the street, the safer a community it is for us.". City News Service contributed to this report. Over the past three years, the Riverside Office has seen a significant rise in meth and heroin trafficking, according to seizure statistics provided to The Desert Sun. 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. It looks just like someone coming home from work.. The DEA's bust was just one of two massive meth seizures by federal authorities in October. 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. 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 investigations in the Inland Empire representing the largest Drug Enforcement Agency meth bust in U.S. history. The house sat on Pace Lane in Indio Hills, behind a chain-link fence and a locked gate, miles from all but a few neighbors. "They can break the drug loads down and do distribution throughout the country," Bodner said. Jawara, Earlington lead San Diego to OT win over Riverside December 20, 2022 The investigation led to search warrants at multiple narcotic stash houses in Moreno Valley and Perris in Riverside County, officials said. NWS releases preliminary reports on 13 Alabama tornadoes from Jan. 12. Authorities specifically mentioned two incidents of alleged drug smuggling along the southern border. And some of it, concealed inside duffle bags, was apparently passed between cars in public including at a Sam's Club parking lot in Moreno Valley. First published on October 14, 2020 / 10:20 PM. They probably didnt even know there was a pipeline beneath their feet, Moore said. The drugs were intended for distribution in Southern California, including Los Angeles, according to DEA officials, who displayed the haul at the agencys warehouse in an undisclosed location in Los Angeles County. Fine white powder sprinkled out of the tiny holes. If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here. We dont fish.. Drug profits, often in bales of cash, follow the same path back to Mexico. 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. That's nearly. Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Luke Money is a Metro reporter covering breaking news at the Los Angeles Times. "I can't bear to think about families coming here and shopping and knowing this is going on," Tanya Rivas, another shopper, said. Bill Bodner, special agent in charge of the DEA's Los Angeles Field Division, said Los Angeles is a major transshipment hub for Mexican cartels trafficking illegal drugs across the southwest border. Officials interdicting bundles of meth, heroin and fentanyl on Friday said it was the second-largest meth bust in Customs and Border Protection history. Over a three-year period that ended in September, the Riverside DEA Office, which also covers San Bernardino County, has seized about 6,500 pounds of meth and 770 pounds of heroin. "That's what's scary.". 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 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. We'll send you the top local news stories every morning at 8 a.m. By clicking subscribe, you agree to share your email address with Times of San Diego to receive our free newsletter and breaking news alerts. Also seized were 893 pounds (405 kilograms) of cocaine and 13 pounds (5.9 kilograms) of heroin. 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 who have had to deal with the torrent of methamphetamine coming into their neighborhoods, Shea said. 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. All rights reserved. Inside was a mountain of drugs 2,650 pounds of cocaine, 66 poundsof heroin and 19 tons of marijuana, stacked on pallets. The drugs seized at the location, which also included heroin and fentanyl, had a street value of about $7.2 million. pic.twitter.com/gdeO80nGNK. "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. Twenty-five duffel bags loaded with cocaine, heroin and meth were seized, according to the DEA. But Chief Gonzalez points to other causes for the recent rise in crime. 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. Federal authorities on Wednesday showed off results of Southern California raids. "The chemicals involved, you hear of places blowing up," Rivas said. Be the first to know when news breaks in Coachella Valley. My guys are all cops, and they could tell it wasnt explosives, said Sgt. 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. They. There's more guns on the street than I've ever seen in my career, and there's thousands of people who should be incarcerated who aren't incarcerated right now," said Gonzalez. In all, more than 150 pounds of meth were seized, in addition to more than $31,000 in cash. Later that day, Reyes husband returned to the house, driving a pickup truck. First, they had caught a street-level dealer in Temecula with 33 grams. Bob Epps, the bomb squad supervisor. Like in Riverside, drug seizures along that stretch of border have gone up dramatically. 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.. Diaz says it illustrates frustrations he has with other aspects of the criminal justice system. 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 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. Just last month, authorities arrested another Moreno Valley truck driver, Ricardo Benitez-Serrano, a fugitive who had been caught hauling $2.9 million in suspected drug profits in 2013 and 305 pounds of cocaine in 2014. DEA cherishes our great law enforcement partners in San Diego, especially those who work tirelessly to protect our nations borders. USA TODAY reporter Brad Heath can be reached at bheath@usatoday.com or on Twitter @bradheath. Agents seized more than 5,000 pounds of meth nationwide and are still working on more arrests, according to the DEA. Narcotics detectives with the Fontana Police Department spotted the exchange. (DEA) MORENO VALLEY, CA Federal agents on Wednesday announced what they called the largest methamphetamine bust by Drug Enforcement Agency . Another blast is on the way. Finn ut mer om hvordan vi bruker informasjonen din i retningslinjene for personvern og retningslinjene for informasjonskapsler. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Thats why traffickers prefer to get the drugs here.. Your dad just called, said Teresa Reyes, speaking to her daughter on a cellphone. "Study after study shows that where there is meth addiction, there is also an uptick in violent crime including robberies, assaults and murders.". 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. It was the quintessential pipe bomb, about a foot long and an inch-and-a-half wide, with caps on both ends. The robot eased closer, eyeing the powder with a camera. 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. 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. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Authorities arrested eight defendants Thursday named in a federal grand jury indictment alleging their involvement in a drug trafficking organization operating in Los Angeles and Riverside. More than 1.5M positive COVID-19 cases since 2020. The entrance to a drug tunnel discovered by federal authorities in Otay Mesa, March 30, 2020. "The Justice Department is committed to making our neighborhoods safer by aggressively disrupting drug cartel operations in the United States.". The Riverside office also seized nearly $47 million in cash, vehicles and guns during that three-year span. The Southern California seizure occurred on Oct. 2, 2020 and included 893 pounds of cocaine, 13 pounds of heroin, and 2,224 pounds of methamphetamine. 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