Raids and Busts News
Archived News Stories
June 26, 2017 DEA: Fentanyl-trafficking Gang made $40K a Week
Cincinnat.com reported that DEA agents estimated that the fentanyl dealing operation they broke up by arresting 10 that week sold over two ounces of fentanyl daily. They netted $40,000 a week, according to court documents. Police are still searching for four suspects after conducting raids in nine separate locations.
Court documents show that the DEA had monitored the group's phone calls, electronic messages and social media accounts. Confidential sources purchased fentanyl from the group on multiple occasions. The drugs bought in those transactions were tested. Heroin and ketamine were found in some samples, in addition to the synthetic opioid.
The complaints filed in federal court named Sherica Shields, Keysean Dicky and several other members of the alleged drug-trafficking organization. Accorting to the complaint, the group had one primary phone, passed among group members, used to supply at least 40 people with fentanyl on a daily basis.
April 13, 2017 Massive Drug Bust in Dayton, Ohio connected to Mexican Sinaloa Drug Cartel
The Montgomery Sheriff's Office reports that 20 kilos of deadly fentanyl are off the streets after a major drug bust. Authorities say more is coming, and they can't keep up.
"We’re more than 3 months into 2017 and already 182 people have died from opioid overdoses in Montgomery County. Officials estimate the county is on track to report more than 700 overdose deaths this year. Last year, there were 349."
“When we look at fight[ing] back against this worst drug epidemic I’ve seen in my life time,” Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said. “We have to take a holistic approach.”
Ohio Attorney General DeWine says that means educating our young people in all grade levels.
“I am advocating on the education front that every school in the state of Ohio,” DeWine said. “Starting [in] kindergarten and go through 12th grade. All 13 years. Every single year with something that is age appropriate for those kids in regard to the drug problem.”
Wednesday’s bust was executed by the Bulk Smuggling Task Force. Sheriff Plummer urges more law enforcement to join them.
“My message to the elected officials the city managers, the council members,” Sheriff Plummer said. “Please join these two task forces we have. We need help. This is effecting every community and we can’t do it by ourselves.”
Wednesday’s drug bust lead to the arrests of 4 men all with ties to Mexico. Along with the fentanyl recovered, also seized was $120,000 in cash, 4 cars and 1 hand gun.
July 7, 2010 Drugs & Gangs
A gun battle 12 miles from Nogales, Arizona (In Sonora, Mexico) left 21 dead, and six wounded - all suspected members of rival gangs. This area is turf worth fighting over. It is a prime corridor for migrant and drug smugglings. Trafficking gangs fight to control this route, often abducting migrants from each other.
Gang violence is one reason Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed a new immigration law due to take effect July 29th. Senate Bill 1070 requires Arizona's law officers to check the immigration status of people during legitimate stops.
“My plan is to tell the federal government to do their job, and their job is to secure our border,” Brewer said. “We’re going to get our border secure, and then we need to talk about what we can do about a comprehensive immigration reform package.”
US Attorney General Eric Holder has filed a lawsuit against the state of Arizona over the law, believing it interferes with federal law to control naturalization and immigration, to control foreign affairs, and to regulate commerce.
September 15, 2009 "Lettuce" Be Cocaine-Free
An Ohio Highway Patrol trooper pulled over two men driving erratically, seven miles from the Indiana Border. Sergeant Reeder called for a drug-sniffing dog after the pair acted suspiciously. Found in a crate surrounded by other crates of lettuce, were nearly 100 pounds of cocaine, valued at $4.5 million.
Santos-Arugeta and Dominquez-Menendez face nine years in prison if convicted, according to Leslie Griffy of TheCalifornian.com.
August 19, 2009 Heroin Highway Heads North on Ohio I-77
Ohio Highway Patrol troopers averaged more than 15 drug arrests per day this year, the Canton Repository reports. In Stark and Tuscarawas counties, troopers are trying to keep heroin and other drugs off the highways.
According to Lt. Eric Escola, New Philadelphia post commander, "A trend we're noticing is a lot of heroin coming from Canton and the Cleveland area. It' s also coming from Columbus because the Latino gang MS-13 drug cartel has moved in there and competition drove the price down to about $30 a hit."
Franklin County topped the list with 185 arrests. Second was Stark County with 167 arrests, followed by Summit County with 143.
Even though quantities of drugs seized has dropped from last year (2008 total was 5.2 million grams, 2009 total through July was 280,000 grams) total drug arrests rose 3% through July of 2009.
June 28, 2009 Keep Your Cocaine Safe!
A 38-year-old Florida man was making a deposit at the drive-through window of his local Wachovia Bank. Along with $200 in cash, he added a bag of cocaine and marijuana. The teller called the Tallahassee police department, and the bank depositor was arrested and charged with drug possession.
The Associated Press reports that the reasons for the deposit was unclear. We suspect someone needs to go to rehab, quickly.
January 31, 2009 Busted By 911 Call for Help
It was after 10 pm on the near west side of Cleveland, Ohio when a dispatcher received an urgent call from a 20 year old man, reporting two men with guns were watching him. He asked the dispatcher to hold on. The dispatcher heard the man make a drug deal to sell a 10 pack for $75.00. A 10 pack is street lingo for a bundle of heroin. The dispatcher notified police. When Patrolmen Lentz, Skernivitz and Simone found the man, he had crack cocaine in his pants. The officers had the dispatcher call the number the man had used to call for help. The suspect's phone rang! Simone believes the robbers were out to steal his drugs.
July 25, 2008 Submarine Seized - 10,000 Pounds of Cocaine Confiscated
U.S. agents have once again, seized a submarine, this time carrying over 350 million dollars of Columbian cocaine off the coast of Guatemala.
Often built using Russian componentry, these diesel powered four person throw-away subs float just below the surface. Both vessels are used on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to bring in several billion dollars of cocaine yearly, into the United States.
Since the introduction of digital surveillance equipment, the Columbian drug cartels are moving away from airborne drug shipments.
September 11, 2008 Cocaine Kingpin Arrested in Florida Nursing Home
According to My Fox Ohio, U.S. Marshals caught one of America's 15 Most Wanted Fugitives. David "Daddy Dave" Green, age 68, had been on the lam for eight years, after he escaped from an Ohio prison. At that time, he was doing time for cocaine distribution. He was the kingpin for one the largest cocaine operation in Ohio. He frequently used family vacations to cover his drug transport trips. He was also wanted in Georgia, where he was wanted for more drug charges, and possessing a machine gun.
According to Jimmy Disbrow of the U.S. Marshal's Service, "Everybody is afraid of this man. He ruled with an iron fist. He's known as the general of his army, his cocaine ring."
For the past several months, Green had been living in a nursing home in the Titusville, Florida after having a stroke.
