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Tag: Drug Enforcement Administration

  • Officers seize 67,000 fentanyl pills, other drugs in Adams County; 2 men face felony charges

    Two men face multiple felony drug charges following searches of Adams County apartments and the seizure of what authorities said were an estimated 67,000 fentanyl pills, 521 grams of methamphetamine, 45 grams heroin and 667 grams of cocaine.

    Oscar Serrano Romano and Enrique Delgadillo Ruiz were arrested Dec. 18.

    As part of the investigation, the Northern Colorado Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Front Range Task Force executed search warrants for apartments in Thornton, Aurora and Westminster. During the search of the Thornton apartment, officers found several duffel bags containing bundled packages of suspected methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl, according to an affidavit from the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

    Officers reported finding bags they believed were being used to distribute drugs. They also found a parking pass for an apartment in Thornton where Ruiz was staying, according to the affidavit.

    Investigators obtained a search warrant for the second apartment on Dec. 18. They said they found a duffel bag containing suspected counterfeit fentanyl pills, cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin. Officers also found clear bags of suspected cocaine, an undetermined amount of money and a notebook that appeared to be handwritten daily logs of drug sales.

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  • After 8-year legal battle, Dracut doctor pleads guilty in landmark opioid case

    WOBURN — A case that stretched more than eight years reached its conclusion this week, as retired Dracut physician, Dr. Richard Miron, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and other charges tied to the illegal prescribing of opioids that led to a Lowell patient’s death.

    Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s office said Miron, 83, became the first doctor in Massachusetts to be convicted on involuntary manslaughter for prescribing opioids — a conviction that stemmed from the 2016 death of 50-year-old Michelle Craib. He also pleaded guilty to defrauding MassHealth and illegally prescribing medication to patients for no legitimate medical purpose.

    Miron was ultimately sentenced in Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn on Monday to what amounts to five years of probation, allowing him to avoid prison time.

    Miron’s attorney, Stephen Weymouth, said on Wednesday that he was prepared and confident to go to trial in a case that has faced a series of delays over the years, but after a conversation with his client earlier this month, the main concern became the possibility of serving time behind bars.

    “From the very beginning he said, ‘I didn’t do anything wrong, and I want to go to trial,’” Weymouth said about Miron. “But then he said he did not want to go to jail.”

    Weymouth pointed out that Miron was facing 47 charges, and any one of them could have resulted in a jail sentence. He said that prosecutors had previously sought four to five years in a plea deal, and the involuntary manslaughter charge carried a maximum of 20 years.

    “Going to trial would have been a mistake because all it would have taken was one guilty hook and he would have gotten a pretty lengthy sentence, and I just couldn’t do that. I just couldn’t take any chances,” Weymouth said. “If he had gone to trial and lost, who knows what would have happened.”

    Miron was indicted by a Middlesex County grand jury in December 2018 following an investigation that began in September 2017 by the AG’s Office, then headed by now-Gov. Maura Healey. Aside from involuntary manslaughter, he was charged with 23 counts of illegally prescribing controlled substances and 23 counts of filing false Medicaid claims.

    From September 2015 to February 2016, the AG’s Office said Miron, a solo practitioner of internal medicine, was the largest provider of high-dose, short-acting oxycodone prescriptions among all MassHealth care providers statewide.

    The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office determined Craib’s death was caused by acute intoxication from the combined effects of fentanyl, morphine, codeine, and butalbital — all prescribed by Miron. The AG’s Office said Miron was aware that Craib had previously overdosed on opioids he had prescribed, yet he continued to issue large doses to her on multiple occasions leading up to her death.

    Prosecutors also said Miron illegally prescribed opioids to several other at-risk patients for no legitimate medical purpose. The illegal prescriptions Miron issued led pharmacies to unknowingly submit false bills to MassHealth for medication.

    MassHealth terminated Miron from its program in September 2017, and he stopped practicing medicine in November 2018, following an agreement with the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine.

    In 2023, Miron’s daughter, Linda Miron, penned a 17-page letter to the AG’s Office urging that the case be dropped. She argued that prosecuting her father — who had already relinquished his medical license and lived under pretrial probation since 2018 — was not in the interest of justice.

    “To bring this flawed case to trial does not seem to me to be the best use of the Commonwealth’s resources, and I urge you to drop your prosecution of this case in the interest of justice,” Linda Miron said in the letter. “More broadly, I fear that prosecuting someone who was willing to take on disenfranchised, medically and psychologically complicated patients here in the Commonwealth, when some other physicians refused to take on MassHealth patients, will further discourage other physicians from treating these patients who deserve compassionate care.”

    The case marched on until Monday, when Miron appeared in Middlesex Superior Court before Judge Cathleen Campbell, where it was finally resolved.

    According to the AG’s Office, Miron was sentenced to two and a half years in a house of correction on illegal prescribing, suspended for five years — meaning he will serve the term as probation rather than prison time, unless he violates probation, in which case the sentence could be imposed. He was sentenced to five years of probation on the involuntary manslaughter charge. For Medicaid fraud, Miron was sentenced to six months in a house of correction, suspended for five years.

    As part of his probation, Miron was ordered to pay full restitution to MassHealth and barred from practicing medicine or seeking reinstatement of his license.

    According to Weymouth, Miron was glad to put the case behind him and most of all to avoid prison time. He noted that Miron had already given up his medical career and had no intention of practicing again.

    “I’m glad it’s over,” Weymouth added. “I know he’s glad it’s over.”

    In a press release announcing the case’s conclusion on Tuesday, the AG’s Office said the case reflects their “commitment to addressing the root causes of the opioid crisis and holding companies and individuals accountable for their role in contributing to the nationwide epidemic.”

    Earlier this year, the release states, Campbell helped negotiate a $7.4 billion settlement in principle with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family, which is expected to bring up to $105 million to Massachusetts. To date, the office said they have secured more than $1 billion in opioid-related recoveries, with more than $390 million already received. Those funds are being directed to the state’s Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund and distributed to cities and towns to support prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery efforts.

    The AG’s Office added in the release that valuable assistance with the investigation into Miron’s case was provided by the Lowell Police Department, the State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and MassHealth.

    Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social.

    Aaron Curtis

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  • Federal agents clash with protesters outside St. Paul business

    Federal authorities on Tuesday clashed with protesters outside of a business in St. Paul, Minnesota, leaving several people injured.

    It started around 10 a.m. outside Bro-Tex, Inc., located in an industrial park off Hampden Avenue, a couple of blocks north of University Avenue West.

    Convinced it was an immigration raid, residents responded to a call to action put out by a community network designed, according to protesters at the scene, to protect immigrants.

    “These people are not criminals,” said a woman named Angelica. “They are working here, clearly.”  

    Angelica said her friend’s dad, who is originally from Mexico and now lives in St. Paul, works at Bro-Tex. She said she couldn’t get a hold of him after the dust settled.

    “Her dad texted her that ICE was here taking them. They stayed in communication for a little bit, but he lost his phone and I don’t know what else happened,” Angelica said.

    After about an hour, many in the crowd walked through the police tape and attempted to stop federal law enforcement from leaving with people they believed were detained inside.

    WCCO


    WCCO cameras captured a physical confrontation between federal agents, some of them wearing FBI and DEA regalia, and protesters. Agents deployed a chemical irritant on the crowd, and physically removed some community members who were blocking four federal vehicles from leaving.

    Fellow protesters helped Angela Deeb after an agent sprayed an irritant at her in front of WCCO cameras.

    “Physically, my body hurt, but then of course our hearts hurt today,” Deeb said.

    Alejandra Villagrana says her dad was one of the people taken into custody by ICE agents.

    “I heard maybe it was 15 people. My uncle was also one of the ones that were taken,” she said. “It was super emotional. I was crying the whole time because I just couldn’t believe it.”

    Villagrana says her dad is originally from Mexico and was working with a lawyer to obtain legal status.

    “He works two jobs to be able to provide for me and my brother, my mom,” she said.

    Villagrana’s family is still trying to find out where her father and uncle are being held.



    Woman says her dad, uncle were detained by ICE in St. Paul

    02:31

    ICE released a statement regarding the operation on Tuesday afternoon: “Today in St. Paul, ICE, HSI and law enforcement partners conducted court authorized law enforcement activity and served a search warrant in furtherance of a federal criminal investigation. There is no threat to public safety, and the investigation remains ongoing at this time.”  

    The St. Paul Police Department told WCCO it was informed in the morning of a “search warrant that was going to be executed in relation to a criminal investigation into a business.”

    It’s unclear if anyone was detained in connection to immigration, but it’s notable that members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration were also involved in the ICE-led operation.

    St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said he was at the scene and was “in close communication” with the city’s attorney’s office and police department.

    “Though we don’t have many details right now, I share the concern and fear this raises for our workers, families, and entire community,” he wrote in a Facebook post. 

    Immigration advocates plan on holding a rally outside the business on Wednesday morning.

    On June 3, a similar situation unfolded on East Lake Street in Minneapolis when community members clashed with federal agents involved in a drug and money laundering bust at a business.

    In late October, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem came to Minneapolis to provide what she described as an update on ICE operations in the Twin Cities region. Noem claimed that federal agents had arrested more than 4,300 people in the metro area by that point in the year, claiming 3,316 had a criminal history. 

    Just last week, a teenager in Northfield, Minnesota, captured video of ICE agents detaining his father. In a statement, the agency told WCCO there was an active warrant for the man and that he “endangered the lives of officers, passengers, and bystanders” during the arrest, but the man’s legal representation disputed that.

    In a recent 60 Minutes interview with Nora O’Donnell, President Trump said he believed ICE raids “haven’t gone far enough” when asked about footage of ICE detaining legal American citizens, teargassing a Chicago residential neighborhood and smashing a car window.

    Conor Wight

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  • Storage unit bought at Colorado auction contained 1.7 million fentanyl pills, police say

    A Coloradan who purchased an abandoned Douglas County storage unit found that it contained 1.7 million counterfeit fentanyl pills, plus several pounds of meth and fentanyl powder, law enforcement officials said Monday.

    The discovery amounted to a record seizure of fentanyl in Colorado, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the sixth-largest in U.S. history.

    The unit was purchased at auction after its previous renter lapsed on its payments. The new owner then called law enforcement, including the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, after opening it to discover the pills. The unit also contained 12 kilograms of fentanyl powder and two and a half pounds of methamphetamine. Law enforcement subsequently learned that the unit’s previous owner had been arrested by the DEA in April, which is why the unit’s rent went unpaid.

    Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that’s at least 50 times more powerful than morphine. While it has legitimate medical uses, illicitly created fentanyl has become the dominant opioid on the U.S. drug market, and it fueled an overdose crisis that surged in Colorado and across the rest of the United States. The street version of the drug is primarily pressed into pill form, typically to mimic the look of other legitimate opioid pills.

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  • 6.5 tons of cocaine seized from boat off the Canary Islands after tip from U.S., Spanish police say

    Spanish police said Sunday that they seized 6.5 tons of cocaine and arrested nine people after a U.S. tip-off led them to raid a ship off the Canary Islands a few days ago.

    In a statement, police said the narcotics were hidden in the hold of the boat, which was flying a Tanzanian flag and had departed from Panama en route to Vigo, in north-west Spain. The cargo ship, which was approximately 177 feet long, had unusual structures on board which concealed the narcotics, officials said.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. federal agency responsible for combating drug trafficking, provided key “information” that enabled the operation to succeed, the press release stated.

    Police release video on social media showing officers on a speed boat intercepting the alleged drug-trafficking ship.

    Spanish police said Sunday that they seized 6.5 tons of cocaine from a ship off the Canary Islands.

    Spanish National Police


    Spain is one of the main gateways for cocaine into Europe, due to its links with Latin America, where the drug is produced, and its geographical location in the south-west of the continent.

    In June, police forces from multiple countries dismantled a drug trafficking ring that used what authorities called high-speed “narco boats” to smuggle large quantities of cocaine from Brazil and Colombia to the Canary Islands. The ring allegedly used an abandoned shipwreck as a refueling platform for the speedboats.

    Spanish police made their biggest ever cocaine seizure last October when they discovered some 13 tons hidden in a shipment of bananas to the southern port of Algeciras. Intelligence from Ecuadoran police tipped off the Spanish authorities, national police said at the time.

    Large amounts of drugs have also been confiscated from boats in other parts of the world recently. Earlier this month, U.S. Central Command confirmed that a Pakistani navy ship seized narcotics worth more than $972 million from sailboats in the Arabian Sea. Last month, the French navy seized nearly 10 tons of cocaine worth more than $600 million from a fishing vessel off the coast of West Africa.

    In April, the U.S. Coast Guard seized roughly 10,000 pounds of cocaine from a fishing boat in the Atlantic Ocean. 

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  • 5 people accused of stashing 1,000 lbs. of meth in DeKalb Co. for drug cartel

    5 people accused of stashing 1,000 lbs. of meth in DeKalb Co. for drug cartel

    Five people are in jail, accused of stashing 1,000 pounds of meth for a notorious drug cartel from Mexico known as Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación.

    Federal agents said the suspects hid the drugs in two different homes. Agents seized 700 pounds of meth from an apartment at a complex called Indigo on Northwest Expressway.

    And 300 pounds were found inside a home on Hairston Crossing Trail in Stone Mountain, according to agents.

    Four children were also living in the homes where the drugs were stored.

    “Wow. See, I just thought they were a normal family,” one Stone Mountain neighbor told Channel 2’s Courtney Francisco.

    She asked Channel 2 not to share her name in fear of retaliation, but she said she never would have suspected the family was possibly connected to a drug cartel.

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    “They looked like a normal family. They had children, you know. I seen a wife, friends come over,” she said.

    The same situation played out in the Indigo apartment complex, according to investigators. That’s where they seized 700 pounds of meth in a home where two children were living.

    “Talk about true innocence. They got brought here,” said Robert Murphy.

    He’s the special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Atlanta Division.

    “It’s done on purpose. They send the family on purpose. The cartels aren’t stupid. They want them to blend in so you see them as your neighbors, you see the kids playing out front. They’re not calling attention to themselves,” said Murphy.

    After three days’ worth of undercover work, investigators showed up at the two stash houses, seized all the meth, arrested four men and a woman, and took four children from the homes.

    Wilber Castellanos Villazana, 38, Yamilet Calixto Sotelo 22, Jorge Lorenzo Manzanarez, 35, Esteban Jacobo-Suarez, 44, and Damien Gomez-Guijarro, 32, who are all citizens of Mexico, face charges of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine in federal criminal complaints.

    Castallanos Villazana, Calixto Sotelo, Lorenzo Manzanarez, and Jacobo-Suarez are from Mexico and did not have proper paperwork to enter the U.S. Jacobo-Suarez was previously deported from the United States twice. Gomez-Guijarro was authorized to be in the U.S.

    These cases are being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Atlanta-Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, with valuable assistance provided by Homeland Security Investigations, the DeKalb County Police Department, and the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office.

    Assistant United States Attorney Michael Herskowitz is prosecuting the cases.

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  • Over 600 people arrested in operations targeting Sinaloa drug cartel, DEA says

    More than 600 people were arrested in a weeklong series of operations targeting the Sinaloa drug cartel, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration announced on Monday.

    The operations took place between Aug. 25 and Aug. 29, according to the DEA. During that timespan, DEA agents in 23 field divisions in the U.S., and seven “foreign regions,” carried out actions resulting in 617 arrests. They also led to the seizures of 480 kilograms of fentanyl powder, more than 700,000 counterfeit pills, roughly 2,200 kilograms of methamphetamine, roughly 7,500 kilograms of cocaine and 16 kilograms of heroin. 

    Altogether, around $12.8 million worth of currency and assets were seized, along with 420 firearms, the DEA said.

    The DEA described it as a “coordinated action” combining the DEA’s focus on enforcement, intelligence, and domestic and international collaboration.

    “These results demonstrate the full weight of DEA’s commitment to protecting the American people,” said DEA administrator Terrance Cole in a statement. “DEA will not relent until the Sinaloa Cartel is dismantled from top to bottom.”

    In a February executive order, President Trump declared eight drug cartels as terrorist groups, including Sinaloa, which is considered the largest drug trafficking organization in the world. It is one of two main cartels based in Mexico, with the other, Jalisco New Generation, receiving the Trump administration’s terrorism designation as well.

    The U.S. Department of Justice has prioritized breaking up the cartels since then, and the August enforcement actions mark the latest examples of operations against some of their top members.

    In August, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia pleaded guilty to federal charges related to his founding role in the cartel, which included counts for drug trafficking, firearms and money laundering. Prosecutors alleged in indictments filed in New York and Texas that Zambada and other Sinaloa cartel leaders were to responsible for the distribution of heroin, cocaine, fentanyl and other drugs in huge quantities throughout the U.S.

    Earlier last month, as part of a deal with the Trump administration, Mexico transferred 26 high-ranking cartel members to the U.S., including a leader of one drug trafficking organization closely aligned with Jalisco New Generation, and prominent figures with ties to the Sinaloa cartel as well as other violent groups.

    “The Sinaloa Cartel remains one of the most significant threats to public safety, public health and our national security,” the DEA said when it announced the August operations. “There are tens of thousands of Sinaloa members, associates, and facilitators operating worldwide, in at least 40 countries who are responsible for the production, manufacturing, distribution, and operations related to trafficking dangerous and deadly synthetic drugs.”

    Emily Mae Czachor

    Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She typically covers breaking news, extreme weather and issues involving social justice. Emily Mae previously wrote for outlets like the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.

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  • Sheriff: 39 arrested during Fairfield nightclub raid, traffic stops are in the U.S. illegally

    Aug. 22—Dozens of people were taken into custody the weekend of Aug.16-17 in Fairfield following arrests at a nightclub and during traffic stops.

    The Butler County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement saying multiple agencies, including BCSO, the Fairfield Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) arrested 34 at a nightclub on Saturday, and five others during traffic stops.

    “All individuals were identified as being in the United States illegally and are currently being held pending further action by federal immigration authorities,” according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office.

    Arrests at Sabor Peruano Night Club, 7245 Dixie Highway, were in response to recent violence in the area and aimed at reducing criminal activity associated with the club, according to Fairfield Police.

    In the past two months, Fairfield police investigated two shootings it said were directly linked to Sabor Peruano.

    “Investigations revealed that many of the individuals involved were in the country illegally,” according to a media release from the Fairfield Police Department. “As a result, we have been working closely with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to assist with our investigations.”

    Before the operation was executed on Saturday, police officers anticipated encountering people who were in the country illegally and possibly armed. For that reason, the department requested federal law enforcement assistance.

    “Despite multiple opportunities to address ongoing concerns, the ownership of Sabor Peruano has not taken sufficient steps to resolve the issues,” according to the Fairfield Police Department. “As such, we will continue to closely monitor the situation and allocate resources as necessary to ensure the safety of our community.”

    They were arrested and transported to the Butler County Jail.

    “The Fairfield Police Department is committed to maintaining the safety and well-being of our diverse community, and we value the strong relationships we’ve built with our residents and businesses,” according to the police department. “While we support local establishments, we must also ensure that all operations comply with the law and will not tolerate behavior that compromises public safety.”

    The Sheriff’s Office also said it will keep detaining people who are in the United States illegally. The Butler County Sheriff’s Office said it will continue to work with ICE and surrounding law enforcement agencies “to aggressively identify, detain, and remove individuals unlawfully present in this country.”

    “Many of these individuals have been here for years, living and working outside the law,” Jones said. “Butler County will not be a sanctuary. We will continue to enforce the law, protect our citizens, and hold accountable those who break it.”

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  • Sheriff: 39 arrested during Fairfield nightclub raid, traffic stops are in the U.S. illegally

    Aug. 21—Dozens of people were taken into custody this weekend in Fairfield following arrests at a nightclub and during traffic stops.

    The Butler County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement saying multiple agencies, including BCSO, the Fairfield Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) arrested 34 at a nightclub on Saturday, and five others during traffic stops.

    “All individuals were identified as being in the United States illegally and are currently being held pending further action by federal immigration authorities,” according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office.

    Arrests at Sabor Peruano Night Club, 7245 Dixie Highway, were in response to recent violence in the area and aimed at reducing criminal activity associated with the club, according to Fairfield Police.

    In the past two months, Fairfield police investigated two shootings it said were directly linked to Sabor Peruano.

    “Investigations revealed that many of the individuals involved were in the country illegally,” according to a media release from the Fairfield Police Department. “As a result, we have been working closely with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to assist with our investigations.”

    Before the operation was executed on Saturday, police officers anticipated encountering people who were in the country illegally and possibly armed. For that reason, the department requested federal law enforcement assistance.

    “Despite multiple opportunities to address ongoing concerns, the ownership of Sabor Peruano has not taken sufficient steps to resolve the issues,” according to the Fairfield Police Department. “As such, we will continue to closely monitor the situation and allocate resources as necessary to ensure the safety of our community.”

    They were arrested and transported to the Butler County Jail.

    “The Fairfield Police Department is committed to maintaining the safety and well-being of our diverse community, and we value the strong relationships we’ve built with our residents and businesses,” according to the police department. “While we support local establishments, we must also ensure that all operations comply with the law and will not tolerate behavior that compromises public safety.”

    The Sheriff’s Office also said it will keep detaining people who are in the United States illegally. The Butler County Sheriff’s Office said it will continue to work with ICE and surrounding law enforcement agencies “to aggressively identify, detain, and remove individuals unlawfully present in this country.”

    “Many of these individuals have been here for years, living and working outside the law,” Jones said. “Butler County will not be a sanctuary. We will continue to enforce the law, protect our citizens, and hold accountable those who break it.”

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  • DEA Targets Drug Smuggling Corridors In Work With Mexico



    Drug Enforcement Administration officials plan to work with their counterparts in Mexico to target the gatekeepers of the smuggling corridors between the two nations.

    The effort is called Project Portero. It is aimed at dismantling cartel operatives who control the smuggling routes along the Southwest Border.

    “Gatekeepers are essential to cartel operations, directing the flow of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine into the United States while ensuring the movement of firearms and bulk cash back into Mexico,” the agency noted. “By specifically targeting them, DEA and its partners are striking at the heart of cartel command-and-control.”

    The project will include a multi-week training and collaboration program at an intelligence center on the Southwest Border. The program brings together Mexican investigators with U.S. law enforcement, prosecutors, defense officials, and members of the intelligence community.

    They plan to identify joint targets, develop coordinated enforcement strategies, and strengthen the exchange of intelligence, the DEA said. The Homeland Security Task Force also will participate.

    “DEA is taking decisive action to confront the cartels that are killing Americans with fentanyl and other poisons,” DEA Administrator Terrance Cole said. “Project Portero and this new training program show how we will fight – by planning and operating side by side with our Mexican partners, and by bringing the full strength of the U.S. government to bear. This is a bold first step in a new era of cross-border enforcement, and we will pursue it relentlessly until these violent organizations are dismantled.”

    Syndicated with permission from The Center Square.

    Brett Rowland – The Center Square

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  • Feds say 8 Tren de Aragua gang members among 30 people charged in Colorado gun, drug-trafficking cases

    Federal prosecutors charged 30 people with largely gun and drug-trafficking crimes after a months-long investigation in metro Denver, a mix of federal and local officials announced at a news conference Monday.

    Those charged include eight people who investigators believe are members of the Venezuelan gang Tren De Aragua, U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly said. He said he considers three of the eight gang members to be “leaders.” Two of the leaders were arrested July 30 in Colombia, court records show.

    McNeilly could not say how many Tren de Aragua gang members remain in Colorado, whether the local members were taking direction from leaders in Venezuela, or how many of the 30 people arrested in the operation were Venezuelan nationals.

    David Olesky, a special agent in charge with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, said the federal charges against eight gang members “diminished” Tren de Aragua’s “influence and capabilities” in the Denver area.

    The federal investigation started in October when Arapahoe County Sheriff Tyler Brown sought federal assistance to deal with rising crime at the Ivy Crossing apartments on Quebec Street. The subsequent investigation involved at least 40 undercover operations and branched out significantly from the apartment complex.

    Federal investigators seized or purchased 69 guns during the investigation, according to court records. Twenty-seven of those guns were connected through ballistics to 67 “separate shooting events,” said Brent Beavers, Denver special agent in charge for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

    Court records show those incidents included drive-by shootings, an attempted carjacking and a shootout between two large groups, among others.

    “By removing these firearms from the street, we’ve disrupted a dangerous cycle of violence, prevented further harm to our community and sent a clear message to criminal networks,” Beavers said.

    The defendants in the federal cases announced Monday were not charged in connection with those shootings.

    Shelly Bradbury

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  • Nebraska AG Hilgers joins opposition to reclassifying weed as less-dangerous drug – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news

    Nebraska AG Hilgers joins opposition to reclassifying weed as less-dangerous drug – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news





    Nebraska AG Hilgers joins opposition to reclassifying weed as less-dangerous drug – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news





























    AggregatedNews

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  • The Feds Have Until November To Help Veterans

    The Feds Have Until November To Help Veterans

    Soldiers have returned with PTSD and other serious ailments. The AMA and science said medical marijuana can help – but time may be running out.

    In an acknowledgement from the medical community, the American Medical Association supports the rescheduling of cannabis to a Schedule III because it has proven medical benefits. A portion of the medical benefits help soldiers returning from service with both physical and mental scars. Unfortunately, time may be running out to help.

    RELATED: California or New York, Which Has The Biggest Marijuana Mess

    Both Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did the research and agreed to the rescheduling. They are important organizations being clear it will help are military veterans. PTSD is real to the point of over 30,000 active duty personnel and veterans who have served in the military since 9/11 have committed suicide. That is the roughly the same amount of wiping out all of Fairbanks, Alaska.  More veterans committed suicide, almost 100,000, after Vietnam, than in the war (roughly 58,000). Opioid addiction, which medical marijuana can combat, is raging among veterans with PTSD and chronic pain. But leaders like Mike Johnson (R-LA) have worked hard to block help.

    Photo by SDI Productions/Getty Images

    While veteran facilities are federal property and therefore do not allow marijuana on premise, even in legal states, they have become supportive of medical marijuana. There have been significant treatment changes including:

    • Veterans will not be denied VA benefits because of marijuana use.
    • Veterans are encouraged to discuss marijuana use with their VA providers.
    • VA health care providers will record marijuana use in the Veteran’s VA medical record in order to have the information available in treatment planning. As with all clinical information, this is part of the confidential medical record and protected under patient privacy and confidentiality laws and regulations.

    The clear case for medical marijuana has been proven by science, but with veterans, it is an important step to helping them in a return to civilian life. Representative Johnson has indicted with more control, marijuana could return to the outlaw status and the new GOP VP has stated he is not a fan of cannabis. The DEA must follow the recommendations and make a move quickly for this to happen and to help soldiers.

    RELATED: Science Says Medical Marijuana Improves Quality Of Life

    Bipartisan congressional lawmakers are seeking to remove a controversial section of a Johnson approved spending bill which would block the Justice Department from rescheduling marijuana.

    Terry Hacienda

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  • The Presidential Debate May Have Helped Marijuana

    The Presidential Debate May Have Helped Marijuana

    The Presidential debate has fed the news cycle for almost two weeks…but is the real winner marijuana?

    In a break from tradition, the two presidential candidate agreed to a new debate format hosted by CNN. Historically, the Commission on Presidential Debates ran the show, but both the leaders for the Republicans and Democrats went with a new, untested format for a 90 minutes, live debate. Since the June face off, media online along in person conversations continue to buzz about the results. But in a surprise, the presidential debate may have helped marijuana – making it a winner of the evening.

    RELATED: Beer Sales Flatten Thanks To Marijuana

    After promising to do more for the marijuana industry, the Biden administration waited until the almost last year of his term to make a major move. At the end of 2023, he encouraged federal agencies to consider rescheduling. The Federal Drug Agency (FDA) and Health and Human Service’s (HHS) recommended cannabis to be rescheduled to Schedule III, with Schedule III drugs defined as having a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence (Schedule III drugs include ketamine, anabolic steroids, and testosterone). It now sits with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), which isn’t the biggest fan.

    This rescheduling will have a significant impact on state-legal cannabis businesses and consumers. Which is key to marijuana success.  Roughly 85% believe marijuana should be legal in some form, but Congress and the Biden administration has been slow to act. But wit key young voters balancing weed along with political and economic issues….it is an easy win.

    Photo by anankkml/Getty Images

    While the process is slowly moving, uncertainty remains. The DEA is currently in a feedback phase. The DEA has not be overly excited and some congress members have been lobbying against the change. Noticeably, the medical community has backed rescheduling.

    RELATED: Americans Want It, Some Politicians Prefer a Nanny State

    Once the DEA publishes its proposed rule, it will be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget (“White House”) and if approved, it would then proceed to a public comment period. Notably, the DEA could reschedule cannabis by issuing a final order and bypass the notice and comment period which would allow the change to become effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.

    The current administration needs a big win with younger voters and to show strengthen and relevancy. This could help push him and the VP to be more decisive.

    Terry Hacienda

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  • Report: Injured workers at risk for opioid overdoses

    Report: Injured workers at risk for opioid overdoses

    Workers who are injured on the job are at higher risk for fatal opioid-related overdoses, according to a new study, which calls for renewed efforts to reduce the stigma of drug addiction.

    The report, released Thursday by the state Department of Public Health, found that working-age Massachusetts residents who died between 2011 and 2020 were 35% more likely to have died of an opioid-related overdose if they had previously been injured at work.

    DPH researchers compiled information about individuals’ employment and work-related injury status from their workers’ compensation claims and linked it with data from their death certificates.

    Researchers reviewed the details of 4,304 working-age adults who died between 2011 and 2020 and found at least 17.2% had at least one workplace injury claim and died of an opioid-related overdose, according to the study.

    Public health officials say the study is the first linking the impact of work-related injuries to opioid-related overdose deaths.

    “Occupational injuries can take both a physical and mental toll, and those who suffer injuries at work may be discouraged from seeking help because of stigmatization and fear of losing their jobs,” Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh said in a prepared statement. “Avoiding or delaying care can lead to a preventable overdose death.”

    She called for stepped-up efforts to “eliminate the stigma that accompanies substance use disorder in all sectors of society, including the workplace.”

    The release of the report comes as opioid overdose deaths remain devastatingly high in the Bay State, despite a slight decrease over the past year.

    There were 2,323 confirmed or suspected opioid-related deaths in Massachusetts from Oct. 1, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2023 — eight fewer than the same period in 2021, according to a report released in December by the health department.

    Health officials attributed the persistently high death rates to the effects of an “increasingly poisoned drug supply,” primarily with the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl.

    Fentanyl was present in 93% of the overdose deaths where a toxicology report was available, state officials noted.

    Curbing opioid addiction has been a major focus on Beacon Hill for a number of years with hundreds of millions of dollars being devoted to expanding treatment and prevention efforts.

    The state has set some of the strictest opioid prescribing laws in the nation, including a cap on new prescriptions in a seven-day period and a requirement that doctors consult a state prescription monitoring database before prescribing an addictive opioid.

    The Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund, created by the state Legislature in 2020, has received more than $101 million from settlements with drug makers and distributors over their alleged role in the opioid crisis, according to the Executive Office of Health and Human Services.

    More than 25,000 people have died from opioid-related overdoses in Massachusetts since 2011, according to state records.

    Nationally, fatal drug overdoses fell by roughly 3% in 2023, according data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    But the toll from fatal overdoses in 2023 remained high, claiming 107,543 lives, the federal agency said.

    Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids were responsible for about 70% of lives lost, while methamphetamine and other synthetic stimulants are responsible for about 30% of deaths, the CDC said.

    “The shift from plant-based drugs, like heroin and cocaine, to synthetic, chemical-based drugs, like fentanyl and methamphetamine, has resulted in the most dangerous and deadly drug crisis the United States has ever faced,” Anne Milgram, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, said in a recent statement.

    The DEA points to Mexican drug cartels, who it says are smuggling large quantities of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs manufactured in China into the country, along the southern border.

    “The suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and money launderers all play a role in the web of deliberate and calculated treachery orchestrated by these cartels,” she said.

    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • Report: Injured workers at risk for opioid overdoses

    Report: Injured workers at risk for opioid overdoses

    Workers who are injured on the job are at higher risk for fatal opioid-related overdoses, according to a new study, which calls for renewed efforts to reduce the stigma of drug addiction.

    The report, released Thursday by the state Department of Public Health, found that working-age Massachusetts residents who died between 2011 and 2020 were 35% more likely to have died of an opioid-related overdose if they had previously been injured at work.

    DPH researchers compiled information about individuals’ employment and work-related injury status from their workers’ compensation claims and linked it to data from their death certificates.

    Researchers reviewed the details of 4,304 working-age adults who died between 2011 and 2020 and found at least 17.2% had at least one workplace injury claim and died of an opioid-related overdose, according to the study.

    Public health officials say the study is the first linking the impact of work-related injuries to opioid-related overdose deaths.

    “Occupational injuries can take both a physical and mental toll, and those who suffer injuries at work may be discouraged from seeking help because of stigmatization and fear of losing their jobs,” Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh said in a statement. “Avoiding or delaying care can lead to a preventable overdose death.”

    Walsh called for stepped-up efforts to “eliminate the stigma that accompanies substance use disorder in all sectors of society, including the workplace.”

    The release of the report comes as opioid overdose deaths remain devastatingly high in the Bay State, despite a slight decrease over the past year.

    There were 2,323 confirmed or suspected opioid-related deaths in Massachusetts from Oct. 1, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2023 — eight fewer than the same period in 2021, according to a report released in December by the health department.

    Health officials attributed the persistently high death rates to the effects of an “increasingly poisoned drug supply,” primarily with the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl.

    Fentanyl was present in 93% of the overdose deaths where a toxicology report was available, state officials noted.

    Curbing opioid addiction has been a major focus on Beacon Hill for a number of years with hundreds of millions of dollars being devoted to expanding treatment and prevention efforts.

    The state has set some of the strictest opioid-prescribing laws in the nation, including a cap on new prescriptions in a seven-day period and a requirement that doctors consult a state prescription monitoring database before prescribing an addictive opioid.

    The Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund, created by the state Legislature in 2020, has received more than $101 million from settlements with drug makers and distributors over their alleged role in the opioid crisis, according to the Executive Office of Health and Human Services.

    More than 25,000 people have died from opioid-related overdoses in Massachusetts since 2011, according to state records.

    Nationally, fatal drug overdoses fell by roughly 3% in 2023, according data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    But the toll from fatal overdoses in 2023 remained high, claiming 107,543 lives, the federal agency said.

    Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids were responsible for approximately 70% of lives lost, while methamphetamine and other synthetic stimulants are responsible for approximately 30% of deaths, the CDC said.

    “The shift from plant-based drugs, like heroin and cocaine, to synthetic, chemical-based drugs, like fentanyl and methamphetamine, has resulted in the most dangerous and deadly drug crisis the United States has ever faced,” Anne Milgram, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, said in a recent statement.

    The DEA points to Mexican drug cartels, who it says are smuggling large quantities of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs manufactured in China into the country along the southern border.

    “The suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and money launderers all play a role in the web of deliberate and calculated treachery orchestrated by these cartels,” she said.

    Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • Marijuana move could help Biden in key voter group – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news

    Marijuana move could help Biden in key voter group – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news





    Marijuana move could help Biden in key voter group – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news




























    AggregatedNews

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  • “A big deal”: What the feds’ move to reclassify marijuana means for Colorado cannabis – The Cannabist

    “A big deal”: What the feds’ move to reclassify marijuana means for Colorado cannabis – The Cannabist

    Cannabis advocates in Colorado cheered the Biden Administration’s reported move to reclassify marijuana and said the decision likely would reduce businesses’ tax burden significantly.

    Industry leaders cautioned that such a move — if finalized — would not resolve some major challenges facing the industry, such as limited access to banking. But they pointed to the symbolic importance of preparations by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to downgrade the substance’s drug classification.

    A man pours cannabis into rolling papers as he prepares to roll a joint the Mile High 420 Festival in Civic Center Park in Denver, April 20, 2024. (Photo by Kevin Mohatt/Special to The Denver Post)

    Read the rest of this story on DenverPost.com.

    The Cannabist Network

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  • THE DEA DECIDES TO RESCHEDULE MARIJUANA

    THE DEA DECIDES TO RESCHEDULE MARIJUANA

    In a historic move the Drug Enforcement Agency announced it plans to reschedule cannabis.  Monumental shift in the marijuana industry.

    After three years of waiting for President Biden to fulfill his promise of doing something about legal cannabis, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) announced its plan to reschedule cannabis. This follows the recommendations from Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Food and Drug Agency (FDA).  They are sending their recommendation to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review of the impact on the budget. The shifts acknowledged the medical benefits of cannabis and can pave the way for PTSD treatment for veterans, something the President and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA).

    RELATED: Science Says Medical Marijuana Improves Quality Of Life

    “Moving to Schedule III is the single biggest thing that can happen to the US cannabis industry. It removes the 280E tax burden, increases medical research, and opens the investor base. Today is truly a tipping point for this burgeoning industry.” declared Jesse Redmond, Managing Director at Water Tower Research.

    “This historic move from the Biden Administration to reclassify cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III reflects changes in the scientific and medical understanding of cannabis. It echoes moves in other countries around the world. Domestically, it lays the groundwork for federal tax benefits for the cannabis industry, as cannabis businesses will be treated like other businesses with regard to deductions and credits. It will also lower the costs and hurdles of conducting research on the plant and its products. Despite skeptics arguing that this spells the beginning of the end of the cannabis industry as we know, those doomsday scenarios fail to answer a basic question: why would the Biden Administration want to crack down on a substance that it classifies as “less dangerous” when it refused to crack down on the substance when it was a Schedule I substance? Little, if anything, will change at the state regulatory level, but that should not take away from the historic nature of this decision. Cannabis has been a Schedule I substance for 54 years, and despite multiple opportunities to reclassify it in decades’ past, today is the first time the US Government has been willing to say otherwise” shares John Hudak, Director, Maine Office of Cannabis.

    Hudak is widely respected in the industry and has been a thought leader for the growing industry. The move reclassifies cannabis from Schedule 1 of dangerous drug with zero medical benefits to to Schedule III such as ketamine, Tylenol with codeine, and anabolic steroids. The timing is still unsettled, but there is hope it will have an impact in 2024.  The industry as been struggling under schedule III despite a huge growth of consumers.  This will also open the door more for mainstream companies to become involved in the market.

    RELATED: Marijuana MicroDosing Can Improve Mundane Tasks

    “While this is great news for the cannabis industry, it’s too early to break out the Champagne,” said Lonnie Rosenwald, Partner at Zuber Lawler, LLP. “We don’t know yet when rescheduling will occur, or, perhaps more important, when the tax changes will take effect.  For companies and entrepreneurs considering entering the industry, rescheduling alone should provide an incentive to launch their businesses. But existing cannabis businesses will have to wait to see whether they’ll be able to deduct business expenses on their 2024 or 2025 returns. We expect answers to these questions in the coming weeks.” says Lonnie Rosenwald, an attorney for Zuber Lawler, a national law firm which covers the cannabis industry.

    This is a historic shift for the federal government and puts in more in line with the American Medical Association, most medical professionals, Canada and the general public.

     

    JJ McKay

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  • DEA Re-Hires Agent Who Was Fired for Taking CBD | High Times

    DEA Re-Hires Agent Who Was Fired for Taking CBD | High Times


    The Department of Justice has rescinded a DEA decision to fire a special agent who was let go due to a positive reading for CBD on a drug test.

    DEA special agent Anthony L. Armour will be re-hired as a special agent and be reimbursed for back pay and legal expenses after a years-long court battle that stretches back to 2019 when a routine drug test showed he had been using CBD, which Armour maintained in court was for the purpose of treating chronic pain in lieu of highly-addictive opioid based painkillers.

    “I’m excited to be getting back to work at DEA,” Armour said to The New York Times. “I hope to finish my career at DEA by helping its mission in taking dangerous drugs like fentanyl off the streets.”

    Armour’s battle with chronic pain goes back to an injury he sustained during his college football career. He was also injured on the job as a DEA agent in a car crash during a surveillance operation, after which he suffered from back pain and a sprained neck. He ordered CBD products and a vaporizer from the internet, under the impression that he was not taking any illegal risks as the 2018 Farm Bill federally legalized hemp products. 

    “For Armour and many others in this country, this change meant new opportunities—particularly as to CBD, a non-THC cannabinoid in the cannabis plant,” a portion of the lawsuit said. “Armour hoped CBD oils could play a role in his pain management. That he did is unsurprising. From Martha Stewart to Wrigley Field, CBD has become embedded in American culture.”

    After he failed the drug test, Agent Armour turned the CBD products he had ordered into his superiors. Under federal law, hemp-derived products are defined as such if they contain less than 0.3% THC (please follow these handy-dandy little hyperlinks if you want more information on the clusterfuck of loopholes the Farm Bill created with regard to hemp-derived cannabis products). Of the three different hemp-based products Agent Armour turned in, court documents showed that two of them tested within the 0.3% THC range but one of them tested above the allowed threshold at 0.35%, which could be due to the notoriously unreliable potencies of hemp products and the methods by which they are tested.

    The DEA even went so far as to double down on their decision years into the lawsuit in late August of 2023. They filed a court brief defending Agent Armour’s termination just days before the Department of Health and Human Services officially recommended the federal rescheduling of cannabis from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3. The DEA also issued an official notice to all DEA employees after Armour’s termination to avoid all CBD products despite their federally legal status.

    “Mr. Armour was an outstanding DEA agent when he took a chance in 2019. He believed it was unlikely that CBD products would cause him to test positive for marijuana, but he knew it was possible, and he bought those unregulated products on the internet and consumed them anyway,” the DEA brief said. “Mr. Armour argues that he ‘displayed negligence or poor decision-making,’ and DEA properly held him accountable for his poor decisions when they resulted in a verified positive drug test. DEA lost trust in Mr. Armour and properly removed him.”

    Despite a years-long fight to keep Agent Armour off the payroll the DEA has agreed to reinstate him and pay him $470,000 in back pay and legal fees, according to the New York Times who obtained a copy of the court filings from earlier this month. Agent Armour told the New York Times he still sees value in using CBD for pain management but that he will consult a medical professional for viable alternatives upon his return to work. 

    “Federal drug testing policies—and importantly, attitudes about drug testing—have not caught up with the times. I’m not the only career law enforcement officer in this country with chronic pain, nor am I the only law enforcement officer that has turned to legal cannabis products to address pain,” Agent Armour said in court testimony in September. “Nobody should have to choose between suffering pain and serving our country.”



    Patrick Maravelias

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