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Drug Enforcement Administration

PA Drug Boss, 19 Others Arrested In Large-Scale Bust: Authorities PA Drug Boss, 19 Others Arrested In Large-Scale Bust: Authorities
PA Drug Boss, 19 Others Arrested In Large-Scale Bust: Authorities A Philadelphia-area drug boss and 19 other members of a trafficking organization were arrested in a large-scale drug bust, authorities said in a Tuesday, Nov. 19 news release. Anthony “Bang” Blake, 45, of Philadelphia, and 19 others are facing various drug trafficking charges after dozens of search warrants were executed in the Philadelphia area and parts of New Jersey in early November, the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office news release states. The drug bust resulted in the seizure of: 20 firearms. 12.5 pounds of cocaine. $72,356 cash. Quantities of fentanyl, MDMA, promethazine with…
FBI Thwarts Iran-Linked Plan To Assassinate Donald Trump, DOJ Says FBI Thwarts Iran-Linked Plan To Assassinate Donald Trump, DOJ Says
FBI Thwarts Iran-Linked Plan To Assassinate Donald Trump, DOJ Says An Iranian operative and two associates living in America have been charged in a murder-for-hire plot targeting United States citizens, including President-elect Donald Trump. Federal authorities have charged Farhad Shakeri, an alleged operative of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), along with two New York City associates in a plot to assassinate a US citizen critical of the Iranian government.  The case highlights the continued threat posed by Iran’s attempts to silence dissidents and even target top US. officials. According to the Department of Justice criminal complai…
Philly Man Gets 24 Years In Prison For Fentanyl Drug Bust: USDOJ Philly Man Gets 24 Years In Prison For Fentanyl Drug Bust: USDOJ
Philly Man Gets 24 Years In Prison For Fentanyl Drug Bust: Usdoj A Philadelphia man was sentenced to more than 24 years in prison for possessing 36 kilograms of fentanyl and running two drug houses with a citizen of the Dominican Republic, authorities said. Gabriel Rivera-Otero, 42, also known as "Carlos Vasquez" and "Gustavo," was sentenced to about 24-and-a-half years in prison and 10 years of supervised release, according to a Department of Justice news release on Monday, Oct. 28. A Dominican Republic man, Angel Reyes-Valdez, 47, also known as "Abel Anton Alberto Nunez," was sentenced with Rivera-Otero, the news release states. Reyes-Valdez was senten…
Man Wanted For 100 Counts Of Child Rape In Delaware County Arrested By US Marshals Man Wanted For 100 Counts Of Child Rape In Delaware County Arrested By US Marshals
Farzan Mohammed Arrested By Philly US Marshalls A man wanted for more than 100 counts of child rape and similar offenses in Delaware County has been arrested, according to the US Marshals in Philadelphia. Farzan Mohammed, 37, of Chester, fled the country after charges were filed in March 2023 and was extradited to the US on Thursday, Oct. 24, according to a post by the US Marshals in Philadelphia on X, formerly Twitter. @USMS_Philly Deputy Marshals extradited Farzan Mohammed, 36, from Trinidad and Tobago to the U.S. Mohammed faces over 100 counts of child rape and crimes against children in Delaware County. He was charged in March 202…
Bucks County Man Pleads Guilty To Trafficking Fake Opioid Pills Online Bucks County Man Pleads Guilty To Trafficking Fake Opioid Pills Online
Bucks County Man Pleads Guilty To Trafficking Fake Opioid Pills Online A 38-year-old man from Bucks County pleaded guilty to trafficking counterfeit opioid pills. Robert Davis, 36, of Bensalem, pleaded guilty on Aug. 28, according to U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero. The pills were meant to be used as props in films but were instead used by drug dealers billed as oxycodone or Xanax, Romero said. The defendant was charged in a superseding indictment on May 9, 2023, with selling counterfeit opioid pills through his website, rcproppill, advertising the fake pills for use as props in films or music videos, from about 2015 through August 2019. The counterfe…
Triple Homicide In Pennsylvania Lands Maryland Man 7 Life Sentences: USDOJ Triple Homicide In Pennsylvania Lands Maryland Man 7 Life Sentences: USDOJ
Triple Homicide In Pennsylvania Lands Maryland Man 7 Life Sentences: Usdoj More than eight years after a triple homicide in Pennsylvania, a Maryland man has been brought to justice, according to ta release by the US Department of Justice on Fiday, July 19, 2024.  Christopher Van Johnson, 36 of Baltimore, MD was sentenced to seven consecutive life in prison sentences by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner, "who also sentenced to concurrent 10, 20, and 30-year terms of imprisonment on companion robbery, firearms, and conspiracy charges" on July 17, 2024, as stated in the release. His sentencing was for his role in the execution-style…
Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA Sentenced Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA Sentenced
Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA Sentenced 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A member of a burglary ring that specifically targeted Asian-American small business owners in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware was sentenced to a plea-bargained 33 months in federal prison. James Hurt, 48, of New York, and other members of the second-story crew worked from what the FBI called a hit list of dozens of homes in the four states based on “stereotype and opportunity" from Dec. 2, 2016, to March 20, 2019. The burglars often got into homes through unsecured upper-floor windows before seeking out cash, jewelry and guns, the FBI said In one instance, th…
Cocaine Worth $70K Seized In Mercer County Bust: Prosecutor Cocaine Worth $70K Seized In Mercer County Bust: Prosecutor
Cocaine Worth $70K Seized In Mercer County Bust: Prosecutor A multi-agency investigation in Mercer County led to the seizure of 700 grams of cocaine and the arrest of two men from Trenton and Bucks County, PA, authorities said. The cocaine was worth $70,000 on the street, according to  Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri. At about 4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 29, members of the Mercer County Narcotics Task Force (MCNTF), with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ewing, Hamilton and Trenton police, found Dayron Vaughn, 48, of Bristol, PA, driving a motorcycle …
Philly Cocaine Dealer Who Tried To Kill Witness Gets Sentenced: USDOJ Philly Cocaine Dealer Who Tried To Kill Witness Gets Sentenced: USDOJ
Philly Cocaine Dealer Who Tried To Kill Witness Gets Sentenced: Usdoj A convicted Philadelphia drug dealer who tried to have a witness assassinated while awaiting trial last year will spend the better part of a century in federal prison, prosecutors say.  Luis Algarin-Torres, 34, was sentenced to 622 months, or just shy of 52 years, plus six years of supervised release, according to the US Attorney's Office.  During a raid on his Hunting Park home in 2018, authorities said they found $28,000 in cash, 34 grams of cocaine, and a loaded gun that had been modified to fire automatically stashed in a kitchen light fixture.  They also found evid…
175K+ Fentanyl Doses Seized In Massive Reading Drug Bust: Berks DA 175K+ Fentanyl Doses Seized In Massive Reading Drug Bust: Berks DA
175K+ Fentanyl Doses Seized In Massive Reading Drug Bust: Berks DA Hundreds of thousands of doses of illegal drugs are off the street and four men are in custody following a massive police raid and drug bust on Monday, the District Attorney's Office announced on March 12. Detectives and Reading police launched an investigation into "street level" drug dealing on the 200 block of South 6th Street in September 2023, according to the DA's office.  With assistance from the Pennsylvania State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration, authorities executed search warrants at multiple properties — all in the same block  — on March 11, including:&…
State Police, Feds Investigating After Police Officer Shot In Scranton (UPDATED) State Police, Feds Investigating After Police Officer Shot In Scranton (UPDATED)
State Police, Feds Investigating After Police Officer Shot In Scranton (Updated) More details are emerging in the Thursday, Jan. 11 shooting of a Scranton police officer.  The officer and an unnamed "subject" were both shot during an "exchange of gunfire," authorities said previously.  In a Thursday afternoon press conference, a state police spokesman said SPD officers were investigating a pair of shootings — one on the 400 block of Harrison Avenue and one on the 300 block of Prospect Avenue — when the gunfight broke out.  Both the officer and the other person remain at Geisinger CMC in "critical but stable" condition, according to police. …
3rd Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA, Cops Plea 3rd Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA, Cops Plea
3rd Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA, Cops Plea UPDATE: A third member of a burglary ring that targeted Asian-American small business owners in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware has pleaded guilty, authorities confirmed. Kevin Jackson, 57, of Rahway, was part of a second-story crew that the FBI said worked from a hit list of dozens of homes in four states based on “stereotype and opportunity." One of Jackson's associates told detectives that Asians were targeted “because it was believed that the victims kept large sums of currency and jewelry in their residences,” an FBI complaint says. Notes found in the defendants’ cars …
Thermal Imaging Video That Led To Danelo Cavalcante's Capture Released By DEA Thermal Imaging Video That Led To Danelo Cavalcante's Capture Released By DEA
Thermal Imaging Video That Led To Danelo Cavalcante's Capture Released By DEA The crucial moments that helped lead authorities to Danelo Cavalcante's capture have been released by federal officials. The final push that led to the 34-year-old convicted killer's capture began just after midnight, Wednesday, Sept. 13, when he set off an alarm at a home near the eastern edge of the police perimeter in northern Chester County, authorities said (scroll for video). Around an hour later, a plane from the Drug Enforcement Administration ultimately picked up on Cavalcante's body heat using thermal imaging, near Prizer Road and Route 100 in South Coventry Township. The video …
Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA, DE Cops Plea Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA, DE Cops Plea
Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA, DE Cops Plea UPDATE: A burglar from a crew that targeted Asian and Asian-American small business owners in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware took a deal from the government rather than risk the outcome of a trial, federal authorities said. James Hurt, 47, of New York, was part of a second-story outfit that the FBI said worked from a hit list of dozens of homes in four states based on “stereotype and opportunity." One of Hurt's associates told detectives that Asians were targeted “because it was believed that the victims kept large sums of currency and jewelry in their residences,” an FBI c…
Burglar With Hit List Of Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA, DE Gets 50 Months In Federal Prison Burglar With Hit List Of Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA, DE Gets 50 Months In Federal Prison
Burglar With Hit List Of Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA, DE Gets 50 Months In Federal Prison UPDATE: A member of a second-story crew who targeted Asian and Asian-American homeowners in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware for burglaries was sentenced to a plea-bargained four years and two months in federal prison, authorities said. Randi Barr, 42, of Union County, NJ, was part of a group that worked from a hit list of dozens of homes based on “stereotype and opportunity,” federal authorities said. Local, state and federal law enforcement authorities who teamed up to smash the ring found notes in the defendants’ cars that had the home addresses of individuals of Asian des…
'Operation Special Delivery': Berks Crew Smuggled $4M Of Cocaine Through The Mail, Police Say 'Operation Special Delivery': Berks Crew Smuggled $4M Of Cocaine Through The Mail, Police Say
'Operation Special Delivery': Berks Crew Smuggled $4M Of Cocaine Through The Mail, Police Say A dozen people face criminal charges in connection with an ongoing scheme to mail cocaine from Puerto Rico to Berks County, according to authorities.  During the course of "Operation Special Delivery," a task force of Berks detectives and federal agents seized roughly $4 million worth of cocaine from 19 packages sent through the US Postal Service, said county authorities in a release.  Eleven of the 12 suspects are currently in police custody, detectives said.  The investigation began last August when the Postal Inspector's Office found "kilogram quantities" of cocaine being regularly shi…
El Chapo Sons, Dubbed ‘Pioneers' Of Fentanyl Epidemic, Charged In Massive Sinaloa Cartel Case El Chapo Sons, Dubbed ‘Pioneers' Of Fentanyl Epidemic, Charged In Massive Sinaloa Cartel Case
El Chapo Sons, Dubbed ‘Pioneers' Of Fentanyl Epidemic, Charged In Massive Sinaloa Cartel Case Four sons of notorious druglord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman are among more than two dozen members of Mexico's reigning Sinaloa cartel charged in a massive fentanyl-trafficking offensive announced by federal officials on Friday. The infamous quartet known as the Chapitos – each of whom had $5 million U.S. bounties placed on their heads – were dubbed “the pioneers” of fentanyl’s introduction to American users by DEA Administrator Anne Milgram during an April 14 news conference in Washington, D.C. “Death and destruction are central to their whole operation,” said Milgram, a former New Jersey a…
Meth, Fentanyl Seized In Early Morning Easton Raid: Police Meth, Fentanyl Seized In Early Morning Easton Raid: Police
Meth, Fentanyl Seized In Early Morning Easton Raid: Police A team of state, local, and federal law enforcement agents descended on an Easton home early Friday, seizing drugs and firearms, according to authorities.  City police, joined by Palmer Township police, state troopers, the Northampton County Drug Task Force, and the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant at a property on the 100 block of North 8th Street at about 8 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 17, officials said in a release.  First entry was made by a state police tactical team, authorities said. Once the area was secured, officers began the search.  In all, poli…
Arizona Man Caught With $1.6M Of Fentanyl In Montco: DA Arizona Man Caught With $1.6M Of Fentanyl In Montco: DA
Arizona Man Caught With $1.6M Of Fentanyl In Montco: DA More than $1.6 million worth of fentanyl on its way to be distributed across greater Philadelphia was intercepted by police at a Montgomery County motel on Wednesday, according to authorities.  Jorge Valdez-Rosas, a 22-year-old from San Luis, Arizona, was caught red-handed with a duffle bag containing five kilograms — or 5,000 grams — of the synthetic opioid, said Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele.  Police began investigating Valdez-Rosas after learning that a drug trafficking organization with ties in the US and Mexico was in the middle of moving large…
PHOTOS: Suspect Shot During DEA Operation In Fort Lee PHOTOS: Suspect Shot During DEA Operation In Fort Lee
Photos: Suspect Shot During DEA Operation In Fort Lee One suspect was hospitalized and three others were taken into custody Tuesday afternoon after a shooting in Fort Lee, witnesses said. Members of a DEA task force out of Newark were conducting an operation when gunfire erupted on Whiteman Street off Lemoine Avenue near the Whiteman Park Plaza around 1:30 p.m., knowledgeable law enforcement sources told Daily Voice. At least 20 rounds had been fired, some of which struck a Toyota sedan that slammed head-on into a utility pole. Two DEA agents were believed to have discharged their weapons. The wounded suspect is tended to on Whiteman Str…
23,000 Fentanyl Doses, 30 Homemade Guns Seized In NJ Latin Kings Takedown: Feds 23,000 Fentanyl Doses, 30 Homemade Guns Seized In NJ Latin Kings Takedown: Feds
23,000 Fentanyl Doses, 30 Homemade Guns Seized In NJ Latin Kings Takedown: Feds More than 23,000 doses of fentanyl, nearly 30 homemade firearms and a host of parts designed to create fully-automatic machine guns were seized in the takedown of a drug and gun trafficking network run by New Jersey members of the Latin Kings, federal authorities announced. Nine reputed members of the ring were charged with a variety of drug and weapon offenses that include creating and selling private-made firearms (PMFs), more commonly known as “ghost guns," U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. PMFs were actually being made on 3D printers at the moment law enforcers raided one of sever…
Montco Pharma Giant Could Pay Billions For Role In Opioid Crisis: Feds Montco Pharma Giant Could Pay Billions For Role In Opioid Crisis: Feds
Montco Pharma Giant Could Pay Billions For Role In Opioid Crisis: Feds A Conshohocken-based pharmaceutical giant could be on the hook for billions of dollars in fines for its role in the nationwide opioid epidemic, prosecutors say.  US Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero filed suit against AmerisourceBergen Corp., one of America's largest pharmaceutical wholesalers, for allegedly violating federal law regarding opioid distribution.  According to prosecutors, prescription drug sellers have a "longstanding legal obligation" to inform the federal Drug Enforcement Administration "each and every time they receive a suspicious order." Not only did AmerisourceBe…
DEA, Police Investigate Murder Victim Dumped On Delco Street DEA, Police Investigate Murder Victim Dumped On Delco Street
DEA, Police Investigate Murder Victim Dumped On Delco Street Investigators believe the man found dead with multiple stab wounds on a Delaware County side street earlier this month was murdered elsewhere and then dumped there.  Police in Norwood were called to Darby Crescent Road just before 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 9, the department said in a release. There, officers found the body of a man killed "under suspicious circumstances," they said.  Authorities later identified the body as 24-year-old Jimmy Reynolds Jr., of Philadelphia, Norwood police said. Officials in the city had reported Reynolds missing from North Philly just thre…
PLEA DEAL: 10 Years, No Parole, Awaits Philly Dealer Who Slung Meth In NJ PLEA DEAL: 10 Years, No Parole, Awaits Philly Dealer Who Slung Meth In NJ
Plea Deal: 10 Years, No Parole, Awaits Philly Dealer Who Slung Meth In NJ UPDATE: A plea deal is sending a Philadelphia drug dealer who slung meth in New Jersey to federal prison for 10 years without parole, authorities said. Nasir White, 30, took the deal, pleading guilty to drug conspiracy, rather than risk the consequences of being convicted at a trial. He must serve out the entire sentence because there's no parole in the federal prison system. A fellow dealer, Shawn McGuriman, took the same deal and was sentenced in August 2021 to a decade behind bars, as well, authorities said. White and McGuriman had a half-pound of meth that they'd agreed to sell to anot…
Law Enforcement 'Supergroups' In NJ Unite To Fight Organized Violent Criminals Law Enforcement 'Supergroups' In NJ Unite To Fight Organized Violent Criminals
Law Enforcement 'Supergroups' In NJ Unite To Fight Organized Violent Criminals A collection of crime-fighting 'supergroups' nailed 42 defendants in a series of pinpointed attacks on organized gangs dealing drugs, packing weapons and waging street warfare in North Jersey, authorities announced. The Violent Crime Initiative, as it's called, targeted what had been thriving criminal organizations in Newark, Paterson and elsewhere, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. Shooting incidents statewide and in cities where the VCIs operate are “appreciably lower” than the year-to-date total from last year, including a 23% reduction statewide, a 30% reduction in …
Heavy Luggage: Ringleader Gets 10 Years For Smuggling 330 Pounds Of Coke Into Teterboro Airport Heavy Luggage: Ringleader Gets 10 Years For Smuggling 330 Pounds Of Coke Into Teterboro Airport
Heavy Luggage: Ringleader Gets 10 Years For Smuggling 330 Pounds Of Coke Into Teterboro Airport A Puerto Rican resident who coordinated a private shipment of more than 300 pounds of cocaine into Teterboro Airport is headed to federal prison for a mandatory 10 years. Mariano Enrique Arroyo Perez – also known as “Humilde” – took a deal from the government rather than risk a trial. He’ll have to serve out the entire plea-bargained term because there’s no parole in the federal prison system. The scheme involved smuggling more than a quarter-ton of cocaine into the United States on private planes flying into the small local airport in Bergen County from 2017 through July 2019, U.S. Attorne…
'Rainbow Fentanyl' Made To Look Like Candy Being Sold To Children, DEA Warns 'Rainbow Fentanyl' Made To Look Like Candy Being Sold To Children, DEA Warns
'Rainbow Fentanyl' Made To Look Like Candy Being Sold To Children, DEA Warns Brightly-colored fentanyl made to look like candy is being sold to children and young people, the Drug Enforcement Administration warns.  The DEA and our law enforcement partners seized some of the brightly-colored fentanyl in 18 states in the month of August 2022.  “Rainbow fentanyl—fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes, and sizes—is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram.   “The men and women of the DEA are relentlessly working to stop the trafficking of rainbow fe…
Thousands In Cocaine Thrown Off 8th Floor Of Apartment In NJ Bust Involving PA Shooting Suspect Thousands In Cocaine Thrown Off 8th Floor Of Apartment In NJ Bust Involving PA Shooting Suspect
Thousands In Cocaine Thrown Off 8th Floor Of Apartment In NJ Bust Involving PA Shooting Suspect Thousands of dollars' worth of cocaine and guns were thrown from the eighth floor of a New Jersey apartment before it was recovered from the streets below during a drug investigation, leading to a slew of charges for two of the residents involved, including a PA shooting suspect using an alias, authorities said. A month-long investigation into the distribution of cocaine led detectives to the 600 block of West State Street in Trenton, where surveillance officers saw Jose Borges-Navarro open an eighth-floor window and throw two duffle bags out around 7:15 p.m. on Monday, June 13, Mercer Coun…
Philadelphia Career Criminal Who Shot SWAT Officer Facing Federal Charges: Authorities Philadelphia Career Criminal Who Shot SWAT Officer Facing Federal Charges: Authorities
Philadelphia Career Criminal Who Shot SWAT Officer Facing Federal Charges: Authorities A Philadelphia career criminal who shot a SWAT officer serving a search warrant in February was charged by federal authorities Wednesday, May 4. Police arrived at 35-year-old Kristian Reyes' West Lehigh Avenue home in the Fairhill section of the city on Feb. 11 with the intention of arresting him on probation and parole violations, United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams said.  He had drug-related convictions dating back to 2007, CoffeeorDie reports. After receiving no response, SWAT officers broke into the home and made their way up to the third-floor a…
Jersey Shore Man Found With Rifle, Silencer, Bogus Federal Agent Badges Takes Plea Jersey Shore Man Found With Rifle, Silencer, Bogus Federal Agent Badges Takes Plea
Jersey Shore Man Found With Rifle, Silencer, Bogus Federal Agent Badges Takes Plea A Jersey Shore man who was caught with a handful of phony federal agent IDs in his own name admitted also having a homemade rifle and a silencer. Jeffrey Backlund, 57, of Waretown, took a deal from the government rather than face trial, pleading guilty on Wednesday, April 27, to illegally possessing all of them, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Backlund was arrested after a warranted search prompted by a domestic disturbance in September 2020 turned up “a number of firearms and imitation federal identification badges,” Sellinger said. “They found one short-barreled, AR-style, .223 …
Feds: Smuggler Who Imported Ton Of Cocaine Into US Gets 15 Years Without Parole Feds: Smuggler Who Imported Ton Of Cocaine Into US Gets 15 Years Without Parole
Feds: Smuggler Who Imported Ton Of Cocaine Into US Gets 15 Years Without Parole A man who authorities said imported almost a ton of cocaine into the United States from Venezuela, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic was sentenced in federal court in Newark to a plea-bargained federal prison term of nearly 15 years, authorities said. Edwin “Tortuga” Nieves-Rosado, a 56-year-old U.S. citizen who was living in the Dominican Republic, must serve just about all of the sentence because there's no parole in the federal prison system. Nieves-Rosado "played a managerial role" in conspiring to smuggle the cocaine from with at least five other people from 2016 through January, 20…