U.S. Seizes 400 Kg Fentanyl, 3 Million Pills in Five-State Bust; 16 Arrested Including Sinaloa Cartel Leader
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U.S. federal authorities have announced the largest fentanyl bust in the nation's history, resulting in the arrest of 16 individuals, including Heriberto Salazar Amaya, age 36, a high-ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel. The operation, part of Operation Take Back America and led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), was coordinated across five states—New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada—and resulted in the seizure of more than 400 kilograms of fentanyl pills, 11.5 kilograms of fentanyl powder, and approximately three million fentanyl pills, many stamped as oxycodone.
In Albuquerque, authorities seized 2.7 million fentanyl pills, which officials stated was enough to potentially kill more than 1.5 million people. Additional seizures included 80 kilograms of methamphetamine, 7.5 kilograms of cocaine, 4.5 kilograms of heroin, $5 million in cash, 49 firearms, jewelry valued at $50,000, and several high-value vehicles. In Salem, Oregon, $2.8 million in cash was recovered. Some firearms had rapid-fire conversion devices.
The drug trafficking network, allegedly led by Salazar Amaya, was distributing narcotics across multiple western states. Six of the arrested males were identified as being in the U.S. illegally. The Justice Department indicated that some of those arrested face additional charges, including conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and firearms offenses. Reference was made to the possibility of lengthy prison sentences, with mention of Alcatraz in relation to President Trump's call to reopen the facility.
Authorities highlighted the ongoing threat posed by synthetic opioids like fentanyl, which are often smuggled into the U.S. by Mexican cartels. The operation was part of a broader effort to dismantle cartel networks and reduce the supply of lethal narcotics in American communities.
A 32-year-old man was indicted for distributing the fentanyl that led to the death of four people, according to the United States Department of Justice.
https://t.co/IotbJwtnEw
Police sized more than 25 pounds of fentanyl with a street value of more than $1 million after a chase that ended with a crash near Myrtle Beach. https://t.co/O0br0vhC7J
