It has arrested 65 high-level defendants and confiscated 500,000 fake fentanyl pills, 360 pounds of meth, 104 pounds of cocaine and taken nearly 200 guns off the street that were tied to drug operations. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. - 7 pounds heroin and 7 pounds crack The Drug Enforcement Administration announced a "major investigation" involving the seizure of 110,000 fentanyl-laced pills in the Denver area. A deputy's knack for sussing out mules has made a lonely stretch of I-70 the top drug-bust site in Colorado Mesa County deputy Mike Miller has patrolled a stretch of desert west of Grand Junction for decades. But make no mistake: In this case, my understanding is the drugs here were actually bound for Colorado. The indictment claims that a person named Julian Green was the "leader and supervisor" of the operation. The drug market morphs by the hour. Every single bust, and I hate to use that term, is making a substantive community impact on the life-saving front, Besser said. Arthur Mills, 59, was arrested on Thursday, according to the Denver Police Department. Rep. Diane DeGette is pushing legislation to expand a federal program to help people pay their utility bills and still make ends meet. The 45-count indictment exposes the inner workings of a Mexican drug gang that was based at a market in Aurora and distributed drugs - mostly cocaine and methamphetamine - throughout the region. In one shipment recovered by authorities, drugs were hidden in a childs backpack and mailed through UPS to a woman in the ring who had children, Dunn said. Colorado's first fully-licensed legal marijuana tour bus is now open for business. Example video title will go here for this video. Police shared the following details about the large amount of drugs that were captured: - 179 pounds methamphetamines Law enforcement officials said cartels have designed the latest batches to be attractive to young people, with one official comparing their creativity to Baskin-Robbins ice cream flavors. They give brief insights into our people and places, our flora and fauna, and our past and present, from every corner of Colorado. for top stories from 9NEWS curated daily just for you. We are watching a system moving across Utah that will bring increasing snow chances for the mountains for your Friday afternoon and evening. See reviews, photos, directions, phone numbers and more for Odom Memorial Community Drug Bust locations in Aurora, CO. The Special Operations Unit found $18,645 in cash, 250 grams of marijuana, 231 Xanax pills, 108 oxycodone, 25 pills of molly, and a digital scale all in the car. I called this press conference because behind the scenes there is aggressive and tenacious police work and prosecution being done to save lives and bring justice," Besser said. Its hard to keep the calculations updated in real time as the pills come in, he added. , Players given Kratom by Colorado coach, police say, Skier Shiffrin's quest for 86th win extended after downhill, 77 inches of snow fall at Colorado ski area in 9 days. Washington, D.C. Man Convicted After Nine-Day Trial for Use of a Firearm in Connection with a Murder and a Robbery, and for a Drug Distribution Conspiracy. Theyre here. Authorities also recovered 10 guns during the investigation, which began in January 2019. The leader of the group, Candelaria Vallejo-Gallo, was arrested last week in her Aurora home, according to Dean Phillips, acting special agent in charge at the Denver division of the FBI. In my opinion, bulk fentanyl quantities like this hold the caliber of weapons of mass destruction-type concern when we take into consideration the worst possible outcomes of this poison being pushed out in mass to our communities, said Brian Besser, the special agent in charge of the DEAs Denver Field Division. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. In the last 20 years in Colorado, nearly 5,000 Coloradans died from a prescription opioid overdose. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Ive never seen anything like this. In Pittsburgh, she helped the newspaper earn the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news after a mass shooting at a local synagogue, and in 2020 she was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in local reporting for an investigation into child sexual abuse among Amish and Mennonite communities. Denver7 reporter Liz Gelardi tells us more about a drug ring hiding in plain sight. - 43 pounds cocaine Special Agent Garrett Croon (312) 829-1199. $18K, 300 pills seized in Aurora drug bust Police found more than $18,000 in cash and more than 300 pills during a traffic stop in west suburban Aurora Tuesday night. Read More. In the search of his home and his two vehicles, police said they found more than 80,000 fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills, 500 grams of suspected Xanax and more than $1,800 cash. Drug and weapons suspect in Maven Hotel bust worked construction, has child, and lengthy criminal history Managers also noted that the person who was renting one of the rooms had requested to. Body cam video shows a handcuffed suspect being thrown to ground by an Aurora police officer. Mills was arrested at the Race Street location. Well over 300 special agents and officers arrested 28 defendants for drug trafficking and related crimes during early morning raids. Obviously with the nexus of I-25 and I-70, Colorado seems I think to have a disproportionate share of interstate drug trafficking that flows through our state, Dunn said. They are available everywhere and can be obtained with little effort.. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. There are about 6 million people living in Colorado.Editor's Note: A previous version of the story said the amount of fentanyl seized could kill as many as 25 million people. JOLIET, IL On Tuesday, the Will County Sheriff's Office announced a major drug bust led to the recovery of 13 bundles of meth, two containers of Fentanyl pills and eight bundles of cocaine . BOND: $2000. According. You think the cartels are in Mexico? iTunes:http://on9news.tv/itunes Google Play:http://on9news.tv/1lWnC5n, HOW TO ADD THE FREE 9NEWS+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE. A Mexican national who was residing in Aurora illegally, Vallejo-Gallo and her group used overland traffickers and UPS shipments to get drugs to the metroplex, according to Dunn. Search arrest records and find latests mugshots and bookings for Misdemeanors and Felonies. Tapia-Rubio is named in the court records, among 13 other people. Constantly updated. - An Aurora resident was indicted for his part in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine. for the State of Colorado (19.3 percent) but is higher than the national rate (14.7 percent) (Figure 1). Douglas. Example video title will go here for this video. The Colorado legislature may finally let it. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. A 19-year-old Arizona man is under arrest in Colorado's high country after authorities found large amounts of drugs in his car. 4:00 PM 01/29/2013 - A 23-year-old math teacher at Overland High School in Aurora, Colorado is in a heap of trouble after a local television station publicized the bawdy but awesome contents of her Twitter account. They pulled him over, smelled marijuana, and found the drugs and cash in the car. The availability and accessibility of fake pills (laced with fentanyl) right now is absolutely staggering. 2023 Colorado Public Radio. Jared Polis says the state is looking at ways to reduce those costs. The Justice Department is assisting Ukraine in an investigation into war crimes committed by Russia. Colorado Drug Bust: Heroin, Cocaine & Fentanyl Found Phoenix Man's Car A 19-year-old Arizona man is under arrest in Colorado's high country after authorities found large amounts of drugs in. Colorado will be caught between a high pressure ridge to the east and a deep low pressure trough to the west. A 40-year Colorado news veteran, Carol McKinley started in radio, and traveled the world as a network TV correspondent/producer. 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Another six people were also charged as a result of a year-long investigation: four members of the alleged ring who remain at large in Mexico, one who remains at large in the United States and one individual who is in state custody, Dunn said. First published on March 11, 2022 / 7:35 PM. The study, the largest of its kind, compared former players against men of the same age and found that players who had concussions during their NFL careers scored worse on assessments of episodic memory, attention, processing speed and vocabulary. The civil forfeiture documents filed in federal court in Colorado name 14 people and mention there are others involved in bringing cocaine and meth from Mexico to Colorado. An investigation that began with a probe into a cocaine ring has led to 19 arrests in operations that involved moving black market drugs in and out of Colorado, according to a news release from. Aurora Police said the investigation began in September after their narcotics team received a tip that Hernan Soria Ramirez was advertising illegal drugs for sale on social media sites. Investigators said it is believed the drug trafficking ring in Colorado has ties to the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico. AURORA, Colo. A 24-year-old man was arrested on drug charges late last month after a four-month investigation. Here's what you need to know about this type of skin cancer. Colorado Drug Threat Assessment 2 Colorado's well-developed transportation infra - structure and its central location in the western United States are ideal for the movement of licit and illicit goods into and through the state. 2019 Sentinel Colorado. Daytime high temperatures will be in the mid to upper 40s throughout the front range. All Rights Reserved. Law enforcement hasnt yet arrested the original dealer, believed to be in Mexico, who coordinated with the group. It's the largest drug case in recent history out of the Franklin County, Ohio, prosecutor's office and including 79 people indicted and more than $5 million of narcotics . The homes where the drugs were found were in Denver and Aurora. February 21, 2023. They also confiscated 9.4 pounds of heroin, a 2.2 pounds of cocaine, four guns including an AR-15. Polis said the plan will build on previous efforts to bring down costs and increase transparency. It takes a good days drive to cover Colorado, but well help you do it in a few minutes. 200,000 fentanyl pills seized in what Colorado law enforcement considers life-saving busts, Indie 102.3s March Local 303 Meetup feat: Deva Yoder, News That Matters, Delivered To Your Inbox, Fentanyl is everywhere, and showing up in other illicit drugs. On January 23, 2019, a federal Superseding Indictment was filed against Dana Faulkner, also known as "Diablo" (age 40), of Aurora, CO, charging him with Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances (methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine) in the Rapid City and Northern Black Hills area, Use of Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crime, Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Scout Motors picks South Carolina for new $2B EV. The Aurora residence was on the 12100 block of Amherst Circle. / CBS Colorado. Published: Jun. Should Denver open a safe drug use site? Authorities arrested that woman and 23 other members of two Mexican drug trafficking operations that were based in Denver and Aurora during an operation last week, Dunn said. Officers were called to a local hotel when housekeeping found a brown paper bag containing two plastic baggies filled with a white crystalline substance and a glass smoking pipe. The investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force has been going on for at least a year. The drugs can go for as little as $1 and are disguised in flavors like strawberry and raspberry. This represents 21.0 percent of the MSA population, which is similar to the rate . Subscribe to ourdaily 9NEWSLETTERfor top stories from 9NEWS curated daily just for you. He will miss this weekend's NASCAR race at Las Vegas. Sign up here and we will see you in the morning! March 11, 2022 / 7:35 PM illicit drug in the past year. Deputies say Payton Yates and Keith Tacy were living at the house. According to 18th Judicial District Attorney John Kellner, about 200,000 fentanyl pills were recovered during the investigation along with 9.4 lbs of heroin, 1 kilogram of cocaine, four guns and. Although drug runners were taken off of the streets, their positions will be refilled soon enough. Shes been a reporter since 2012, focused on criminal justice. 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. Five people were arrested in Fort Collins after their alleged role in a drug bust. Perry Bertsch. The incident followed a domestic disturbance, which was being investigated by the Burt County Sheriff's Office. Dean Narciso The Columbus Dispatch 0:00 1:38 The Franklin County Prosecutor's Office announced late Friday afternoon the indictments of 79 people and the seizure of nearly $6 million in drugs in. One of four suspects arrested at a hotel near Coors Field says there was no plot to shoot MLB All-Star Game fans, even though one of his friends harbored a large cache of weapons in his room. When we take into consideration the worst possible outcomes of this poison being pushed out in mass in our communities, Ive never seen anything like this, ever. Gov. Most opioid addicts dont seek out fentanyl due to the extremely high risk of incurring a fatal overdose, Dunn said. Mills has gone before a judge and bond was set. Law enforcement seized over 110,000 counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl, 6. If convicted Vallejo-Gallo could face 20 years to life in federal prison. The Aurora residence was on the 12100 block of Amherst Circle. They then distributed the substances across the state. The Lookout is a free, daily email newsletter with news and happenings from all over Colorado. If it saves one life, for me, it was worth the whole process.. Fentanyl pills, previously known as "blues" because of their blue color, are now available in pink and white. The remaining indictees are on the lam across U.S. and Mexico. ", Fentanyl has flooded Colorado. Investigators part of the North Metro Task Force Drug Task Force says more than 40,000 Fentanyl pills and 20 pounds of cocaine were seized. A 24-year-old is under arrest and being held on a drug charge after an extensive police operation in which some officers donned hazmat suits before entering a southeast Denver apartment. All rights reserved. Five people were discovered dead inside a Colorado apartment where a 4-month-old baby was also found alive after what police are investigating as a drug-fueled party involving fentanyl . On Wednesday, Besser, the sheriffs in Arapahoe and Douglas counties, Denver police andJohn Kellner, the district attorney for Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties, announced their latest in a string of fentanyl busts, almost apologizing that fentanyl news is getting so commonplace that theyre afraid people have stopped paying attention. Denver police and firefighters responded to an apartment at 8330 Quincy Avenue for a suspected drug operation. Officials said kids are buying drugs with emojis and text messages and they can do it anonymously. Court records indicate Tapio-Rubio operated a multi-kilogram cocaine and methamphetamine distribution network with drugs supplied from Mexico. 4, Clovis PD Special Enforcement Team (S.E.T.) So its often times mixed with other substances often times inert substances, and then pressed into pill form to look like prescription Oxycodone or other drugs and then sold.. As first reported by The Denver Gazette, the largest U.S. highway seizure of pure fentanyl powder occurred June 20 on Interstate 70 near Georgetown. The Oscars will air on ABC and can be streamed on ABC.com and the ABC app as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV or FuboTV. Listen now. Now: 1 location off miss & Peoria in aurora. Former Washington Capital forward Lars Eller is now a member of the Colorado Avalanche! As the spring homebuying season approaches, affordability is at its lowest point in history, one economist said. A routine traffic stop in Eagle County led to the discovery of 13.5 pounds of what is believed to be heroin hidden in a child's car seat. The "I hope to return to the Senate later this month," the retiring senator said in a statement. Gov. The DEA, 18th Judicial District, Arapahoe and Douglas County Sheriffs, and Denver Police recently netted a huge bust of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine. Find 727 listings related to Odom Memorial Community Drug Bust in Aurora on YP.com. 8, 2021 at 9:32 PM PDT. These cases were combined, and eight people were ultimately indicted in June from both cases following undercover busts and wiretaps that happened between December 2021 and May. The alleged network was based in Colorado and distributed drugs to several counties and cities in the region, including Denver, Aurora, Commerce City, Lakewood, and Thornton. Press Release. Our newsletters bring you a closer look at the stories that affect you and the music that inspires you. DENVER Special agents, police officers and deputy sheriffs on Thursday arrested 80 people on drug and/or gun charges, announced the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Colorado. Federal, state and local law enforcement in Adams County announced on Friday the dismantling of a drug trafficking operation that has led to state-level indictments of 64 people, seizure of $931,000 in U.S, currency and 77,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl, along with methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine. Recently passed legislation is working to change things, however. The find was part of a coordinated Aurora drug bust announced Feb. 19, 2020. The record haul from last months bust was packed into 48 one-kilo blocks. Fountain Police arrested a convicted felon for drugs in his car the same day he was sentenced for another crime. Police also found 20 firearms at the two locations. We can help you keep up. FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ohio . The source of these narcotics originated in Mexico. The fentanyl flooding Colorado this summer is cheaper, now comes in pink and white, and is sometimes laced with the taste of monk fruit. The case involves a wiretap investigation that began in December and also netted $60,000 in stolen merchandise. served four search warrants in Fresno. AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - A popular grocery store in Aurora was raided as part of the takedown of a large-scale cocaine and methamphetamine organization. In the latest drug bust, authorities seized 200,000 fentanyl pills in an operation which was operating out of a business called Hondu Multiservicios, LLC at 6671 Federal Boulevard, according to the grand jury indictment obtained by The Gazette. He is listed as the owner of El Rancho Market, also raided on Thursday. This creates a phenomena that is extremely hard for law enforcement to stop, Brian Besser, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's Denver field division, told reporters Wednesday. Thats the most important thing to them. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. No one is immune from this drug crisis. Besser said he worries that fentanyl could soon be laced into vape products, which are already incredibly popular with many younger users. BEAUFORT COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - Three people have been arrested in Beaufort County on drug charges and deputies say the street value of the drugs seized is . Electric vehicles are the future, at least that's what Colorado's Energy Office is hoping. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. There's a rise in anxiety, depression and even suicidal thoughts. Federal and local law enforcement are executing warrants related to a drugdistributionbust in the Denver metro area Thursday morning. AURORA, Ill. - Police found more than $18,000 in cash and more than 300 pills during a traffic stop in west suburban Aurora Tuesday night. DENVER (KDVR) Police have announced a significant drug bust in Denver that turned up more than 200 pounds of drugs, including meth, cocaine, heroin, crack and thousands of fentanyl pills.. DENVER - Following a two year criminal drug investigation, 54 defendants were named in four separate indictments charging various violations of the Controlled Substances Act, the United States Attorney's Office and the Metro Gang Task Force announced. (WEHT) Five people were put behind bars in Evansville after a suspicious package led to a large drug bust. 21, 2022 at 1:05 PM PDT. Date: 3/3 12:44 am #1 failed to present . 2023 FOX Television Stations, until MON 12:00 PM CST, Lake County, Lake County, until MON 6:00 AM CST, Lake County, Kenosha County, is in effect, LaSalle County, Newton County, from SUN 6:00 PM CST until TUE 12:00 AM CST, Lake County, Newton County, Man charged in shooting death of Officer Andres Vasquez Lasso ordered held without bond, Services announced for Chicago Police Officer Andres Mauricio Vasquez Lasso who was killed in the line of duty, Replay Lincoln Park transforms into iconic 'Paddy's Pub', Lightfoot loses re-election bid, this is the date she will leave office, Man shot, seriously wounded while sitting in parked car on Southwest Side, Des Plaines man charged with attempted murder in motel stabbing, Jesse Wilson: Adoptive mother arrested in boy's death in Arizona, Cook County man charged with murdering woman he dated for 3 years, Chicago man charged in fatal South Shore shooting. In 2015, it killed 64 people in the state. Authorities have also seized $16 million in drug money. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network records show that between 2013 and 2016, Tapia-Rubio made 140 cash deposits totaling more than $3 million dollars to various financial institutions. At approximately 5:20 p.m. Saturday, NSP was informed that the Burt County Sheriff's Office and Lyons Police Department were on the scene of an armed, barricaded subject at 100 State Street in Lyons. Fentanyl is being mixed with heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and illegally produced marijuana. Anyone who has a tip related to illegal drug dealing in Denver can share it with police through Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867). #4 Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia. That number was nationwide. Authorities seize over 11,000 units of counterfeit fentanyl in Hinds County drug bust (MDPS) By WLBT.com Staff Published: Feb. 1, 2023 at 12:43 PM PST HINDS COUNTY, Miss. There was a 403 percent increase in the number of pounds seized of fentanyl between 2017 and last year on Colorados highways. According to the 1999 and 2000 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), 8.9 percent of individuals age 12 and over surveyed in Colorado reported having abused an illicit drug in the month prior to the survey compared with 6.3 percent nationwide. 15) Deandre Hill, 41 years of age, of 138 Middle Road in Aurora. In Mexican cities, the pills can be made for roughly 4 cents each. According to DEA estimates, one kilo of pure fentanyl powder is enough to kill 500,000 people.