A suspected drug mule was recently arrested in Oklahoma, as law enforcement on the scene found large amounts of cocaine allegedly labeled by a Mexican drug cartel. This development sparks concerns about an uptick in drug trafficking, coming only a month after 16 individuals were detained in Oklahoma for alleged connections to drug cartels.
Beginning with the details surrounding this recent arrest, According to KTUL, Edwin Urbina was arrested after being pulled over on I-40 where law enforcement found three pounds of cocaine valued at $200,000 in his vehicle. Investigators suggested Urbina might be in the country illegally, and border patrol had a warrant for his arrest.
Further inspection of Urbina's vehicle revealed some startling discoveries, News 9 OKC reported that a La Santa Muerte candle shrine was found within the vehicle. These are used by Juarez drug cartels who believe that it protects them from evil, according to Oklahoma County Sheriff Tommie Johnson.
This incident is not isolated, as several other arrests made recently testify, Fox23 reported that multiple arrests were made in late September during a sting operation against an organized drug trafficking group with links to a drug cartel operating out of Tulsa. This investigation spanned several months and resulted in numerous arrests primarily on fentanyl trafficking charges.
Regarding the techniques used by law enforcement during these investigations, NewsNation confirmed that investigators utilized social media messages, GPS tracking and surveillance to facilitate these arrests.
Delving deeper into the strategies employed by these cartels, This is a common strategy for drug cartels; they often leverage U.S. street gangs to distribute illicit drugs.
To understand the scale of the issue, it's important to note the impact this has had in Oklahoma, In 2022, there were 300 overdose deaths reported in Oklahoma, with fentanyl being one of the primary substances involved.
Reflecting on a nationwide scale, According to the CDC, fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are responsible for 150 overdose deaths in the United States every day.
