A federal grand jury has indicted 26 people on international drug smuggling, drug trafficking and related conspiracy charges following a two-year investigation of an operation based in Sinaloa, Mexico.
The two-year investigation, led by the Drug Enforcement Agency, uncovered nearly half a million fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills, the agency said.
"Agents identified Mexico-based traffickers who coordinated shipments of counterfeit pharmaceutical pills laced with fentanyl, powder fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine into the United States," U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said. "These efforts yielded seizures of more than 478,000 counterfeit pharmaceutical pills laced with fentanyl, as well as about 51 kilograms of methamphetamine, 10 kilograms of cocaine, four kilograms of powder fentanyl, and four kilograms of heroin. Agents also seized about $230,000 in assets."
Seventeen defendants have been arrested so far, with one -- Raul Barajas-Padilla -- appearing in federal court June 13 for an initial appearance.
“The criminal investigation that led to this indictment is a great example of successful collaboration between multiple law enforcement agencies determined to prevent illegal narcotics from entering our communities,” said Chad Plantz, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations San Diego, according to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement website.
U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman added, “As fentanyl continues to fuel the ongoing opioid epidemic and claim ever more lives, we will use every available resource to find, apprehend and hold accountable those who seek to profit from it, no matter where they are.”
