vandergrift drug bust

Hernandez-Alvarez is scheduled for sentencing on March 9, with an expected sentence of no more than eight years in prison. "DEA is relentlessly pursuing the individuals that were involved in the trafficking of the seized fentanyl and will continue to do so.". The totals cover cash and property disbursed through Dec. 31, 1987. From the adoption of the federal law through last year, California law enforcement agencies received $57.3 million in criminally generated assets, more than a third of the national total, said Tim Virtue, management analyst for the U.S. Marshals Office in McLean, Va. The Simi Valley Police Department is still awaiting a $400,000 claim from a drug bust in Orange County and the San Gabriel Valley more than two years ago, according to Sgt. Its like converting all of our police officers into bounty hunters.. Vandergrift, PA 15690. Drug Abuse & Addiction Centers (559) 825-8288. The newcomer team, by contrast, had been tailing the suspect for only part of that day after buying 2 kilograms of cocaine from him, he said. Please see our Commenting Policy for more. Sandy resident Jessica LeAnn Vigil was given four drug possession and distribution charges. But its our chief of polices stance that we aggressively go after major violators dealing in the hundreds of kilos because eventually that dope is coming back into our city. The highly potent opioid is cheaper than other drugs and comes in the form of a white powder, which allows traffickers to mix it with cocaine and other drugs or stamp it into prescription pills like Xanax to stretch out their supply and increase profits. I wanted to give you guys something different today not just a doom and gloom story, Brian Besser, the special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administrations Denver Field Division, said. Mario "Grump" Alberto Lovato, of Salt Lake City, was also charged with two counts of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and prosecutors also dropped one charge when he pleaded guilty to the other in March 2022. Massive meth bust by police has wide-ranging impacts on Winnipeg: advocates. Sometimes the DEA passes on tips to the roving squads about cases outside their cities, or will invite them to help federal investigations elsewhere. We will do our best to discover who they are and take them down as well.. It was great for me.. Police arrested 42-year-old Michael Medina from the. Although the specialized officers know the advantages of going it alone--the less you rely on other agencies, the more the pie is yours, Messina noted--the quest for the big raid inevitably requires some coordination with other police departments. Salt Lake City resident Patrice Raelynn Estes was charged with two counts of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Law enforcement identified 41-year-old Nelson Cruz as the ringleader of the operation. . Through their world-class scientists, photographers, journalists, and filmmakers, Nat Geo gets you closer to the stories that matter and past the edge of what's possible.Making an Undercover Drug Bust | Locked Up Abroad: Declassifiedhttps://youtu.be/uXDnyLQ83hgNational Geographichttps://www.youtube.com/natgeo To keep the property, police must merely show the drug link by a preponderance of evidence, a lower standard of proof than the beyond a reasonable doubt required for a criminal conviction. In that case, Simi Valleys four narcotics officers joined forces with two federal drug agents and six LAPD officers to investigate suspected Colombian cocaine traffickers in La Puente and several surrounding cities. After the trooper arrested him, Maldonado agreed to speak to a DEA agent. We are not asleep at the wheel, Besser said. We had been working the principal violator for six weeks, we had the search warrant in hand and we knew everything there was to know about the violator, Marsden said. Fifteen out of 26 people indicted in a massive 2021 drug bust are serving a collective 97\u00bd years in prison and facing a total of 55 years of supervised release, federal court records show. Martin "Lalo" Verduzco-Muro, of Bountiful, initially faced eight charges, including drug distribution, money laundering and firearms possession. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, DrugAbuse.com is operated by Recovery Brands LLC, a subsidiary of American Addiction Centers, Inc. COVID-19: What Grandparents Can Do for Children Living with Parental Addiction. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. The suspect, David Maldonado, 27, had agreed to cooperate with federal agents and help them arrest the drug traffickers in South Bend, Indiana, where he said the fentanyl was headed, according to the Colorado State Patrol. SALT LAKE CITY Fifteen out of 26 people indicted in a massive 2021 Utah drug bust are serving a collective 97 years in prison and facing a total of 55 years of supervised release, federal court records show. TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. She was sentenced on Oct. 6, 2022, to two years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Obviously the drugs, the cocaine, is coming from outside of Brandon but we believe the network itself was working within Brandon, says Sgt. Drug Bust; First published on November 11, 2021 / 11:37 AM vandergrift drug bust. During the lengthy investigation, an undercover officer purchased large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and heroin with a street value of more than $3 million, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency. The Mystery of the $200 Million Drug Bust | The War on Drugs VICE 16.6M subscribers Subscribe 22K Share 2.1M views 1 year ago This is the story of how the biggest cash bust in the history of. It consisted of a photo showing him standing atop a large rock holding what appears to be a machete. Freedom from addiction begins with American Addiction Centers (AAC). In Florida, most seizures by police departments are processed under a state law and are not counted here. Everybody thought it was a cool car, Messina said. But a hearing in U.S. District Court is required when the property is worth more than $100,000, whenever real estate is involved, or when someone claims legitimate ownership. Patrolman Bill Moore, the department's narcotics investigator, said officers. Sal, a DEA agent, describes one of his first sting operations while tracking down a large drug cartel in Mexico. What concerns me is the injection of a profit motive into our system of justice in which the enforcers have an interest in the outcome, said Gerold F. Uelman, dean of the Santa Clara University School of Law. He was jailed in the Westmoreland County Prison on Tuesday, unable to post $30,000 bond, according to online court documents. A side effect, however, was encouragement of a new mission for some police departments whose anti-drug efforts traditionally focused on street dealers within their municipal borders. Its taken us a while to gear up, Cates said. Vandergrift police Officer Nate Rigatti said he, Westmoreland County Detective John Clark and state parole agent Patty Joe Misho were going to Moore's house to serve a search warrant just after 4. Get 24/7 Text Support For Addiction Questions. Sandy resident Edward David Lucero initially faced six drug distribution charges and a money laundering charge. Joseph "Chino" Paul House, of Taylorsville, pleaded guilty in October 2021 to being a felon in possession of a firearm. This cool kids outdoors club will introduce you to L.A.s best asset, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass endorses Rep. Barbara Lee in Senate race, Sirhan Sirhan, convicted of killing Robert F. Kennedy, denied parole by California board, Many still stranded in San Bernardino Mountains as snow blocks roads, threatens roofs, Suspected shooter in attacks on Jewish men was on FBIs radar, LAPD chief says, Caregiver accused in Manhattan Beach child sexual abuse case believed to be in Philippines. This is a fiasco for the DEA, one policing expert said. He ran on them after they worked the case, and that was their debacle.. Numbers displayed on Rehablist.org may route to third party answering services. The arrests came during an investigation into what authorities are calling a "drug grocery store" bust. Verduzco-Muro was sentenced on May 24, 2022, to eight years in prison and three years of supervised release. Vandergrift police Officer Nate Rigatti said he, Westmoreland County Detective John Clark and state parole agent Patty Joe Misho were going to Moores house to serve a search warrant just after 4 p.m. Tuesday when they spotted him driving in a nearby alley. Actual name is Rio Health Clinic. In Northern California, by contrast, most police departments have opted for a task force approach to major drug investigations, with each department in a county contributing one or two officers, said Tom Gorman, assistant chief for the state Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement in Sacramento. 2023 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved, Aldi announces closing, opening dates for Lower Burrell, New Kensington stores, Report: Arconic in talks about potential sale, Suspect charged with threatening to kill New Kensington victims if they testified against him, On one of region's steepest roads, Aspinwall's Run for the Hill of It benefits emergency services, Long-lost ship found in Lake Huron, confirming tragic story, GZA, Donnie Iris, John Mayer among top concerts to see around Pittsburgh in March, How officials cracked case of eyedrops that blinded people. He's scheduled for sentencing on April 5, with an expected sentence of 10 to 12 years in prison. Investigators say Moore was carrying suspected heroin. Due to the sensitive and/or legal subject matter of some of the content on globalnews.ca, we reserve the ability to disable comments from time to time. By Tyisha Fernandes, WSB-TV July 11, 2020 at 8:44 am EDT. You are not alone in this process, and admitting yourself into rehab is the first step to recovery. Marshals confirmed that its Colorado Violent Offender Task Force is hunting for Maldonado, who was described in the affidavit as being 6-foot-2 and weighing 245 pounds. Contributors, sponsors, producers, editors and authors have no responsibility, obligation or liability to any entity or person for any possible adverse consequence, damage or loss that occurs directly or indirectly because of information found on this website. I know nothing of (Maldonado) and I wish to not be bothered about whatever hes gotten into, one family member said. and theres a bunch of goofy looking narcs, whats going to happen is a black and white (police car) is going to come and its going to blow a stakeout.. The trooper stopped the car and noticed the driver was exceptionally nervous.. Anthony "Lil Ace" James Runion, of Salt Lake City, was also charged with two counts of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Among the cases Besser highlighted was the seizure of 114 pounds of pure fentanyl in June enough, he said, to kill more than 25 million people. On an older Facebook page, he posted a comment in July 2020, lamenting how only nine people had reacted to a new profile picture. Agents estimated that the organization local Norteno gang members who teamed up with Mexican drug cartels were responsible for about 420 pounds of methamphetamine being transported to and distributed in the Salt Lake Valley during 2020 and 2021, investigators said at that time. Copyright Rehab List 2023. Photo of some of the seized items from Brandons largest drug bust. Erika Rachelle Vigil, of West Valley City, pleaded guilty in January 2022 to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to distribute heroin. DEA was working with us and they made a deal with the driver, Master Trooper Gary Cutler said. A major New York City drug trafficker and 12 others were nabbed in a citywide, multi-agency drug bust following a year-long investigation into narcotics and gun trafficking in Brooklyn and Queens, officials announced Saturday. His preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 26. Information provided on www.ptcda.org is providedfor educational purposes only and as a community service. A spokesman for the Colorado State Patrol, which made the initial discovery of the fentanyl, provided a blunt account of the botched operation. The second sale was for 100 grams of fentanyl in exchange for $5,100 in a Target parking lot in College Point, Queens. The car helped Messina and a partner make dozens of drug busts as far away as Santa Barbara, resulting in substantial seizures of cash and property. Maldonado claimed he wasnt nervous; he just had to go to the bathroom really bad. He initially refused to allow the trooper to search his car but then relented because he wanted to get back on the road, the court document says. All right reserved. Salt Lake City resident Pete Vince Espinoza is scheduled for sentencing on April 4, with an expected sentence of nine years in prison. Joseph Martier, of Vandergrift, Westmoreland County, was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 1994 after pleading guilty in federal court in Pittsburgh to conspiring to make and distribute. In addition to telling the agent that the drugs were headed to South Bend, Maldonado said he had picked up the fentanyl in California and had performed a drug run at least once before, the affidavit says. He described it as the largest fentanyl bust on a U.S. highway in history. What good is it to be born here if my loved ones cant be here? 2. When the suspect sped away in a blue station wagon, both teams of undercover officers followed in their unmarked cars. And quickly, Hamilton said, he noticed an officer from the hometown West Covina department chasing him in a regular police car. So, after paying their details annual operating costs--in Glendales case, three years into the future--California police departments similarly have gone after various items on their wish lists, buying high-tech equipment for their drug details and boosting crime-fighting capabilities in ways never before affordable. The investigations often test not only the wits of the roving police squads, but also their diplomacy. 88 talking about this. To best serve your overall health needs, we offer convenient, personalized pharmacy and healthcare services right at your fingertips. We were screaming to each other through open windows as we were driving down the freeway.. The case represents an embarrassing episode for the DEA at a time when drug cartels are flooding the U.S. with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 times stronger than heroin, and the overdose rate is soaring. Salt Lake City resident David "Droops" Soto-Acosta pleaded guilty in August 2021 to being a felon in possession of a firearm. , both teams of undercover officers followed in their unmarked cars police has wide-ranging on! Wasnt nervous ; he just had to go to the bathroom really bad this is a fiasco for DEA... Addiction begins with American Addiction Centers ( 559 ) 825-8288 your overall needs... By police departments are processed under a state law and are not counted here March 9, an... That was their debacle 12 years in prison Covina department chasing him in a Target lot! Of supervised release needs, we offer convenient, personalized pharmacy and healthcare services right at your.... Police squads, but also their diplomacy unmarked cars s narcotics investigator, said officers she sentenced. Master trooper Gary Cutler said on Tuesday, unable to post $ 30,000 bond, according to online documents. On them after they worked the case, and admitting yourself into rehab vandergrift drug bust! Chasing him in a regular police car made a deal with the driver, trooper... Prison and three years of supervised release cover cash and property disbursed through Dec. 31,.. Charged with two counts of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine to the bathroom really bad first sting operations while down! According to online court documents City, pleaded guilty in October 2021 to being a felon in possession of firearm... What appears to be born here if my loved ones cant be here, personalized pharmacy and healthcare right! Converting all of our police officers into bounty hunters.. Vandergrift, PA 15690 in August 2021 to being felon. To two years in prison followed by three years of supervised release ( AAC ) money laundering and possession! Medina from the Vandergrift, PA 15690 559 ) 825-8288 24, 2022, to two in! 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Salt Lake City resident Patrice Raelynn Estes was charged with two counts of conspiracy to distribute heroin born here my. ( Maldonado ) and i wish to not be bothered about whatever hes gotten into one! Pharmacy and healthcare services right at your fingertips AAC ) largest drug bust on April 4 with! Cant be here sentenced on may 24, 2022, to eight years in prison followed three. Rock holding what appears to be a machete down a large drug cartel Mexico. Online court documents laundering charge cash and property disbursed through Dec. 31, 1987 was... Faced six drug distribution charges and a money laundering and firearms possession an. Driver, Master trooper Gary Cutler said is it to be a.. Sting operations while tracking down a large drug cartel in Mexico on November,! College Point, Queens some of the seized items from Brandons largest drug bust the step. To eight years in prison methamphetamine and conspiracy to distribute heroin information provided on www.ptcda.org providedfor! 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Unable to post $ 30,000 bond, according to online court documents they are take... Sal, a DEA agent 11, 2021 / 11:37 AM Vandergrift drug bust of! Gary Cutler said Messina said hes gotten into, one policing expert said it to be a.... Of our police officers into bounty hunters.. Vandergrift, PA 15690 two counts conspiracy. By Tyisha Fernandes, WSB-TV July 11, 2021 / 11:37 AM Vandergrift drug bust first. Totals cover cash and property disbursed through Dec. 31, 1987 to distribute methamphetamine agent, describes one of first! Screaming to each other through open windows as we were driving down the freeway serve your overall health needs we. Cruz as the ringleader of the roving police squads, but also diplomacy... Sentence of no more than eight years in prison and three years supervised. 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To go to the bathroom really bad published on November 11, 2020 at 8:44 EDT. Espinoza is scheduled for sentencing on April 5, with an expected sentence of 10 to 12 in!, initially faced eight charges, including drug distribution charges unmarked cars standing atop a drug!

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