A nationwide crackdown on the infamous Sinaloa Cartel has resulted in more than 600 arrests, according to federal officials.
The massive multi-state bust marks one of the most aggressive operations yet against the Mexican drug empire flooding America with fentanyl and other deadly narcotics.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced Monday that between Aug. 25 and 29, agents arrested 617 people with ties to the cartel across 23 field divisions in the United States.
The five-day surge also produced a massive haul of contraband:
480 kilograms of fentanyl powder, 2,209 kilograms of methamphetamine, 7,469 kilograms of cocaine, 16.5 kilograms of heroin, more than 714,000 counterfeit pills, 420 firearms, and $11 million in cash.
In a statement, DEA Administrator Terrance Cole said:
“These results demonstrate the full weight of DEA’s commitment to protecting the American people.
“Every kilogram of poison seized, every dollar stripped from the cartels, and every arrest we make represents lives saved and communities defended.
“DEA will not relent until the Sinaloa Cartel is dismantled from top to bottom.”
New England saw some of the heaviest enforcement, with 171 arrests and the seizure of 244 kilograms of drugs, 22,115 counterfeit pills, $1.3 million in cash, and 33 firearms.
Arrest totals included 64 in Connecticut, 49 in Massachusetts, 33 in New Hampshire, 11 in Maine, 10 in Rhode Island, and three in Vermont.
Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s New England Division, said:
“They’re our public enemy number one in New England.”
One of the largest coordinated takedowns in the region came on Aug. 27 in Franklin, New Hampshire.
27 suspects were arrested following a three-month investigation into fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking from Lawrence, Massachusetts.
Agents emphasized that the cartel’s influence stretches well beyond major cities.
Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the Louisville Division, which oversees Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia, said:
“This shows that the Sinaloa Cartel’s tentacles spread far and deep; no community is spared.”
The Sinaloa Cartel has long been considered one of the world’s most powerful drug trafficking organizations.
The Mexican drug gang has been blamed for driving the fentanyl epidemic that continues to devastate communities nationwide.
Monday’s coordinated operation signals an escalation in efforts by federal authorities to weaken the dangerous cartel’s grip on America’s streets.
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