2023 FOX News Network, LLC. So far the details surrounding who might have been arrested haven't been revealed. Over . December 1, 2021, 1:51 PM. 17. Law enforcement say heroin is an epidemic in Colorado with overdose deaths increasing 600 percent. Market data provided by Factset. Officials said a "lengthy wiretap investigation" led to the monumental bust. All rights reserved. Twelve children were taken from homes where agents say drugs and weapons were stored in plain view. First published on July 6, 2022 / 12:19 PM. TORONTO -. Heriberto Aceves-Velazquez a/k/a Erick LNU U.S. This may be the biggest meth bust in American history . We are confident this case will send a message to those contemplating trafficking heroin and other dangerous illegal narcotics they will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. The indictments were returned earlier this year but only unsealed now. 114 pounds of pure fentanyl powder discovered in vehicle on I-70. Lufthansa makes lone offer for Italian legacy airline, Twitter auctions off blue bird memorabilia, pricey, Colorado lawmakers look to cap price of EpiPen, Tool can help customers get canceled flight refunds, See preliminary snowfall totals as they come in, At least 9-vehicle pile up on I-70 near Strasburg, Storm tapers off, leaving multiple inches of snow, Troopers car struck by several vehicles on C-470, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The four weapons seized included an AR-15-style rifle and a 9 mm handgun, authorities said. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Agents are investigating the possibility the drug cases may have links to unsolved homicides throughout the metro area, said the FBIs Special Agent in Charge, James Yacone. The 114 pounds of pure fentanyl powder was found below the passenger and driver seats, reachable by a trap door, and were in 48 one-kilo bricks. What happens if Broncos, Sean Payton find common ground in Tuesday interview? Authorities say federal, st There are no needles, no track marks. The DEA and the 18th Judicial DA's office announced indictments and arrests following a major fentanyl drug bust in Colorado. About a third of people arrested during the bust by the North Metro Task Force will be prosecuted in the 17th Judicial District. Eleven weapons, including an SKS assault rifle, an AR-15 assault rifle and handguns, and $415,140 in cash also were found and taken by agents as evidence. Last month troopers with the Colorado State Patrol made what they believe is the biggest fentanyl bust on a highway in the United States. At the time, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said it was the second-largest bust ever, behind only a 5,000-pound bust in December 2019 in Laredo, Texas. Though there is ample disagreement between those who believe in the co. Over wire taps, federal agents would hear the Denver street dealers talk to their bosses in Mexico about their "lunches," which was a code word for various amounts and types of packaged drugs. Legal Statement. A lot of the drugs ended up being distributed out of Denver's Civic Center area. Youth are especially vulnerable, Besser said, as they are targeted on social media to purchase these drugs creating an unparalleled accessibility.. But only now after busts this week are indictments being revealed. CU Buffs 2023 football schedule announced, AR-15 style rifle marketed for children showcased at Las Vegas gun convention: Despicable, Freshwater fish are significantly more contaminated with toxic forever chemicals than saltwater fish and shellfish, analysis shows, Polar bear killed a woman and a boy after chasing residents in Alaska town, Colorados major ski resorts could get a foot or more of snow this week, WATCH: White shark surprises boy in stunning fishing encounter off Fort Lauderdale, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Jaime Medina-Mejia a/k/a Jaime LNU The case involves a wiretap investigation that began in December and also netted $60,000 in stolen merchandise. Published: Sep. 23, 2022 at 6:00 PM PDT. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The study's Law Enforcement category includes sub-metrics such as "Number of Drug Arrests per Capita," in which Colorado ranked 41, "Number of Drug Arrests on College Campuses per 1,000 Students . More than 900 people died of fentanyl overdoses in Colorado last year, according to the state health department. Investigators said the bust is the largest drug haul in the world in terms of both value and quantity. The Drug Enforcement Agency and the 18th Judicial District Attorneys Office announced the bust Wednesday in Centennial, saying eight people have been indicted on allegations they were smugglers and distributors in a drug trafficking organization that focused on methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl, the deadly synthetic opioid. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. The poppy fields and heroin labs are in Mexico. 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. . "Crimes of this nature destroy our neighborhoods and the futures of our children. What happens if Broncos, Sean Payton find common ground in Tuesday interview? Unsuspecting users taking drugs they dont know are laced with fentanyl have created a deadly phenomenon and burgeoning public health crisis in Colorado. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Jesus Contreras a/k/a Jesse Almost 100 alleged drug traffickers and gang members are charged in what authorities say is the largest drug bust in Colorado history based of the quantity of drugs found and the numbers of people involved in the conspiracy. If you need help or are having issues with your commenting account, please email us at memberservices@denverpost.com. $18 million, Antioch, Calif. One California raid in 2014 remains one of the biggest drug busts the U.S. has ever seen. Twenty people are facing rafts of charges each and more than $61 million worth of cocaine, crystal meth and marijuana was seized in what Toronto police are calling the largest drug . The bust resulted in a confiscation of 10 tons of cocaine, which was worth around $1.2 billion at the time. We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. Polar bear kills woman, boy in remote Alaska village, Just hours before the Idaho murders, another grisly scene unfolded outside Bryan Kohberger's window, In Montecito, the Million-Dollar Views Still Come With Mudslide Risks, Channing Tatum says parenting with ex-wife Jenna Dewan made them realize they were so different, Hawaii fisherman overboard, missing after hooking large ahi, Wilmington's Azalea Festival announces second concert headliner of 2023, Middle school student cut during fight at lunch, Shooting between vehicles in Sanford leaves 1 dead, officials say. Luis Soto-Castro The investigation started in December with a traffic stop by a Pueblo police officer. Colorado State Patrol Smuggling, Trafficking and Interdiction Unit Captain Bill Barkley said that the agency isn't disclosing the identity of the driver due to potential retaliation from Mexican cartels, and didn't state why the car was stopped. WATCH below: $8 million worth of heroin seized in Pueblo in one of the biggest busts in state history, 13-year-old Colorado girl arrested following high-speed chase in Nebraska, WANTED: 8 people suspected of violent crimes sought in the Colorado Springs area, Highway 24 closed between Falcon and Calhan Wednesday evening, Man and woman arrested in Colorado Springs days after a chase involving the El Paso County Sheriffs Office, I-70 closed in Colorado from Denver to Kansas Wednesday afternoon, Colorado man charged for allegedly making threats to commit mass violence, MISSING: Teen last seen in Colorado Springs Sunday evening, mom asks for help. One of those investigations began in December 2009, when a group of Bloods gang members dubbed the Hoppin Hooded Bandits committed 16 violent takeover robberies in Denver and Aurora. CU Buffs 2023 football schedule announced, AR-15 style rifle marketed for children showcased at Las Vegas gun convention: Despicable, Freshwater fish are significantly more contaminated with toxic forever chemicals than saltwater fish and shellfish, analysis shows, Polar bear killed a woman and a boy after chasing residents in Alaska town, Colorados major ski resorts could get a foot or more of snow this week, WATCH: White shark surprises boy in stunning fishing encounter off Fort Lauderdale, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. "It's a quick and easy, accessible way for the sources of supply to talk to their workers up here and make sure it's a seamless business system," said Agent Rob Saccone with the DEA Strike Force. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said its Dallas division made the biggest . PHOENIX (Arizona's Family/Gray News) - Authorities in Arizona say two men have been arrested in connection with one of the largest drug busts in the . DEA agents began seizing 10 and 20 pound loads. 0:39 . Scotts Bluff, Sheridan, and Sioux); and the CNDSSTF covering Hall, Adams, Merrick and Buffalo counties of Nebraska. By the end of the day Thursday, 80 defendants were in handcuffs and 17 people were still on the loose. Addiction experts say the explosion of heroin use began a few years ago when the drug maker of OxyContin reformulated their pills making it more difficult for people to crush them. There was a lot of intelligence derived from the Hoppin Hooded Bandits case, and they needed the resources to put it together, Yacone said of joining forces with other agencies. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. They actually hire people to engineer trap compartments," Barkley said. As of June 15, 2022, comments on DenverPost.com are powered by Viafoura, and you may need to log in again to begin commenting. Seizure of 200,000 fentanyl pills declared one, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Crash involving 9 semitrailers, 12 other vehicles in Arapahoe County closes I-70 to Kansas border, Seizure of 200,000 fentanyl pills declared one of largest ever in Colorado, Colorado now second state to have a majority of women in the statehouse as session begins, Colorado Springs man sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for fentanyl-related death, More than 80K fentanyl-laced pills seized in Aurora after four-month investigation, Opinion: In Denver homelessness is a housing problem for the next mayor to solve, Online sales, wage protection, car registration fees and other Colorado laws go into effect Jan. 1, Man arrested in hit-and-run crash involving four pedestrians on Wazee in Denver, Evergreen man accused of making threats of mass violence against FBI, Homeland Security and arts group, recovery last month of 114 pounds of pure fentanyl, Colorado weather: Winter storm warning issued for metro Denver, northeast plains ahead of "significant" storm, Denver metro area school closures for Jan. 18, 2023, Colorado snow totals for Jan. 17-18, 2023, Colorado weather: Heavy winter storm could hit at the end of Tuesday's commute, residents encouraged to stay put tomorrow, Lone Tree shelter-in-place order lifted after SWAT finds body while serving eviction, Flight cancellations begin at DIA as winter storm approaches, Man's body found on Arvada sidewalk near bus stop, Colorado weather: Over 7 inches of snow falls in Denver as storm continues Wednesday morning. We reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. . If you want to make sure you have the necessary supplies on hand to treat a future breakout, acne patches are the answer. So numerous are the illegal pot grow operations that they have become almost commonplace. Colorado law enforcement agencies included the Federal Bureau of . The Drug Enforcement Administration and attorney general's office says the abuse of prescription pills -- opiates -- has fueled a heroin explosion now being seeing in Colorado, and youngsters are among the ones using heroin most. Although Tranquilandia is referred to as a drug lab, it's actually much bigger. Read more about our new commenting system here. 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