Of the 16 people arrested for surgery, six are illegally in the United States.
On Tuesday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the largest fentanyl bust in US history.
The major drug bust was marked “the most important victory in our country’s battle against drug trafficking,” Attorney General Pam Bondy said at a press conference at the DOJ.
Multi-agency operations led by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) seized 11.5 kilos of fentanyl containing 3 million fentanyl tablets. Approximately $5 million in cash, 35 kilos of methamphetamine, 7.5 kilos of cocaine, 4.5 kilos of heroin, and 49 rifles and pistols were also seized.
Bondi said the operation targeted a drug trafficking organisation run by the Sinaloa cartel. The cartels manipulate sophisticated networks to distribute deadly drugs, and the vast scale of drug efficacy represents a lethal dose enough to kill countless Americans, federal authorities said.
Of the 16 people arrested for surgery, six are illegally in the United States.
Helibert Salazar Amaya, the leader of a drug trafficking organization, lived in Salem, Oregon. Amaya, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, was deported twice.
Bondi accused the accused of flooding the country with “weapons of mass destruction,” and authorities pointed out that drugs are being distributed in New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and Utah. All fentanyl tablets were engraved as oxycodone and had many advantages. The Attorney General said the precursors were made in China, sent to Mexico and eventually entered the United States.
She praised DEA agents for spending months investigating drug and weapons trafficking businesses. Law enforcement has conducted over 55,000 hours of research work, she said.
DEA agent Rob Murphy said the agents have infiltrated the organization and identified key players in the cartel.
Authorities warned that more seizures and arrests were coming.
“We use them on all levels,” Murphy said. “We’re continuing to do that. We look forward to more from this investigation.”
According to Ryan Ellison, a US lawyer for the District of New Mexico, the defendant is charged with fentanyl conspiracy and distribution, firearm crimes and, in some cases, immigration violations.
Bondi said the defendant would not be deported to Mexico and would remain in the United States if convicted.
“The amount of drugs, the amount of money, the amount of most (he had) of these individuals will remain in American prisons if convicted,” she said. “Maybe Alcatraz.”
The recent drug bust is part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and criminal activity. The Attorney General said the drug bust means Americans are safer, and he notes that 75,000 Americans die from fentanyl poisoning every year.
