Latest news with #DEA
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- General
- Yahoo
4 L.A. County men arrested for plotting to distribute 2,000 pounds of drugs, feds allege
Four Los Angeles County men have been arrested on suspicion of running a drug trafficking operation and conspiring to distribute more than 2,000 pounds of drugs and hundreds of thousands of counterfeit pills, according to authorities. The men allegedly kept the drugs inside a safe house on Wilmington Avenue in Compton, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Los Angeles Field Division said in a statement. Last month, federal agents seized 1,730 pounds of methamphetamine, 238 pounds of cocaine, 257 pounds of powdered fentanyl and about 360,000 counterfeit fentanyl pills from the home. Authorities also took possession of 13 firearms and seven vehicles. Read more: One of the dark web's largest drug-dealing networks was run by four L.A. County men, feds allege Authorities believe the men made about $1.6 million in drug proceeds since 2023. To hide their activities from law enforcement, the men used coded language to communicate via FaceTime and Snapchat, according to the DEA. In May 2023, when authorities say the drug distribution operation began, the men allegedly made $3,250 selling meth to a customer at a restaurant in Paramount, according to court records. A drug sale the next month brought in $6,500, court records say. The four men were arrested on Wednesday. Authorities identified them as Jesse 'Gordo' Lopez-Martinez, 27, of Long Beach; Carlos 'Losy' Mendoza Jr., 32, of Compton; Hector Merced Parra Jr., 25, of South Gate; and Juan 'Panchito' Francisco Felix Salazar, 28, of Whittier. Read more: Authorities tout massive 50-pound fentanyl seizure in L.A.: 'Our biggest bust yet' Lopez-Martinez faces three counts of possession of drugs with the intent to distribute. Parra and Salazar were each charged with one count for possession of drugs with the intent to distribute. Mendoza faces four counts: two for possession of drugs with intent to distribute, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was previously convicted in L.A. in 2012 for felony drug transportation, authorities say. Parra and Salazar have been released on bond, while Lopez-Martinez and Mendoza remain in custody. All four men have pleaded not guilty. According to the DEA, Mendoza allegedly stored and safeguarded the drugs at the Compton residence while Lopez-Martinez allegedly arranged deliveries. Lopez-Martinez and Mendoza allegedly transported meth, and prosecutors say Salazar and Parra helped Lopez-Martinez supply fentanyl to customers. Parra also received fentanyl on consignment from Salazar for further distribution, authorities allege. Read more: Hollywood woman convicted of running delivery service dubbed 'Uber, but for drugs' 'The DEA will show zero tolerance for drug criminals, who continue to poison and devastate our communities,' Matthew Allen, special agent in charge of the L.A. Field Division, said in a statement. 'We're going to find you, shut down your activities, and ensure you face the full force of the law.' If convicted as charged, the four men could each face a 10-year mandatory minimum prison sentence and a maximum life sentence, according to the DEA. The investigation was conducted in collaboration with the Vernon Police Department, the Baldwin Park Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Homeland Security Investigations. Trial is scheduled to begin on July 21. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
4 L.A. County men arrested for plotting to distribute 2,000 pounds of drugs, feds allege
Four Los Angeles County men have been arrested on suspicion of running a drug trafficking operation and conspiring to distribute more than 2,000 pounds of drugs and hundreds of thousands of counterfeit pills, according to authorities. The men allegedly kept the drugs inside a safe house on Wilmington Avenue in Compton, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Los Angeles Field Division said in a statement. Last month, federal agents seized 1,730 pounds of methamphetamine, 238 pounds of cocaine, 257 pounds of powdered fentanyl and about 360,000 counterfeit fentanyl pills from the home. Authorities also took possession of 13 firearms and seven vehicles. Authorities believe the men made about $1.6 million in drug proceeds since 2023. To hide their activities from law enforcement, the men used coded language to communicate via FaceTime and Snapchat, according to the DEA. In May 2023, when authorities say the drug distribution operation began, the men allegedly made $3,250 selling meth to a customer at a restaurant in Paramount, according to court records. A drug sale the next month brought in $6,500, court records say. The four men were arrested on Wednesday. Authorities identified them as Jesse 'Gordo' Lopez-Martinez, 27, of Long Beach; Carlos 'Losy' Mendoza Jr., 32, of Compton; Hector Merced Parra Jr., 25, of South Gate; and Juan 'Panchito' Francisco Felix Salazar, 28, of Whittier. Lopez-Martinez faces three counts of possession of drugs with the intent to distribute. Parra and Salazar were each charged with one count for possession of drugs with the intent to distribute. Mendoza faces four counts: two for possession of drugs with intent to distribute, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was previously convicted in L.A. in 2012 for felony drug transportation, authorities say. Parra and Salazar have been released on bond, while Lopez-Martinez and Mendoza remain in custody. All four men have pleaded not guilty. According to the DEA, Mendoza allegedly stored and safeguarded the drugs at the Compton residence while Lopez-Martinez allegedly arranged deliveries. Lopez-Martinez and Mendoza allegedly transported meth, and prosecutors say Salazar and Parra helped Lopez-Martinez supply fentanyl to customers. Parra also received fentanyl on consignment from Salazar for further distribution, authorities allege. 'The DEA will show zero tolerance for drug criminals, who continue to poison and devastate our communities,' Matthew Allen, special agent in charge of the L.A. Field Division, said in a statement. 'We're going to find you, shut down your activities, and ensure you face the full force of the law.' If convicted as charged, the four men could each face a 10-year mandatory minimum prison sentence and a maximum life sentence, according to the DEA. The investigation was conducted in collaboration with the Vernon Police Department, the Baldwin Park Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Homeland Security Investigations. Trial is scheduled to begin on July 21.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
4 L.A. County men conspired to distribute ‘vast quantities' of meth, fentanyl: DEA
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration announced Monday that four men from L.A. County were arrested for allegedly conspiring to distribute 'vast quantities' of methamphetamine and fentanyl. The seven-count federal indictment comes after the DEA's Los Angeles Field Division conducted a raid at a safehouse in Compton and seized millions of dollars worth of drug proceeds, contraband and weapons, according to a DEA release. Investigators located the following during the raid: 785 kg (1,730 pounds) of methamphetamine 108 kg (238 pounds) of cocaine 117 kg (257 pounds) of powder fentanyl Approximately 360,000 counterfeit fentanyl pills Approximately $1,642,371 in drug proceeds 13 firearms 7 vehicles Each of the four defendants — all of whom are residents of L.A. County — was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. All four were arrested on May 28 and pleaded not guilty at their arraignment the next day. They have been identified as: Jesse Lopez-Martinez, 27, of Long Beach (aka 'Gordo') Carlos Mendoza Jr., 32, of Compton (aka 'Los') Hector Merced Parra Jr., 25, of South Gate (no known alias) Juan Francisco Felix Salazar, 28, of Whittier (aka 'Panchito') Some of the men are facing additional charges; Lopez-Martinez is charged with another two counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances while Mendoza also received an additional count of possession with intent to distribute, as well as a count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and a count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Man, 22, arrested in connection with fatal shooting of civilian, Baldwin Park police officer Mendoza is not permitted to legally possess a firearm due to his 2012 felony drug transportation conviction in L.A. County, the DEA said in their media release. A federal magistrate judge ordered both men to be jailed without bond, while Parra and Felix were released on bond. The four men, according to the indictment filed on May 22, used coded language while communicating via FaceTime and Snapchat to conduct their criminal activities, some of which happened at a local restaurant, federal officials said. 'Lopez-Martinez and Felix negotiated the sale of controlled substances with drug customers. Mendoza stored and safeguarded controlled substances at a residence on Wilmington Avenue in Compton,' the DEA's media release states. 'Lopez-Martinez arranged the delivery of controlled substances to drug customers [while he] and Mendoza transported methamphetamine.' 'Lopez-Martinez and Felix supplied fentanyl to others, including Parra, for further distribution,' the media release continues. 'Parra received fentanyl on consignment from Felix for further distribution.' Do you know anything? 45-year-old Orange County cold case remains unsolved A trial date of July 21 has been set for the case. Special Agent in Charge of the DEA's Los Angeles Field Division Matthew Allen was firm in his stance on the arrests and charges filed. 'The men and women of DEA will show zero tolerance for drug criminals, who continue to poison and devastate our communities,' Allen said per the DEA release. 'Collaboration between DEA and law enforcement partners at all levels has never been more resolute. We're going to find you, shut down your activities and ensure you face the full force of the law.' If convicted of all charges, each defendant would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Suspect accused of using 10 doctors' DEA numbers during prescription fraud scheme in Abilene, West Texas
ABILENE, Texas () – A suspect accused of using DEA numbers from 10 different doctors to try and fill prescriptions at dozens of pharmacies around Abilene and west Texas has been arrested. Andrew Trevino was taken into custody for Fraudulent Use of Identifying Information in Taylor County last week in connection to the allegations. Court documents state police began investigating Trevino in May 2023 after receiving reports that an individual was representing himself as a doctor to get prescription pills from pharmacies across Abilene. Trevino was identified as the suspect and found to have used 10 different doctors' DEA numbers to try and get prescriptions filled for fictitious patients at 58 different pharmacies in Abilene, Amarillo, Lubbock, Snyder, Abilene, and San Angelo over a period of 6 days. All of the prescriptions were for Promethazine with Codeine. Most of the pharmacies did not fill the prescriptions because they were able to identify the attempts as fraud, but Trevino was caught on surveillance video picking up one of the prescriptions from a Pharmacy in Abilene. Trevino now remains held in jail on bonds totaling $160,000. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
5 hours ago
- General
- Fox News
Largest ever ICE operation results in nearly 1,500 illegals arrested in blue state
Operation Patriot, the largest ever ICE operation, resulted in the arrest of nearly 1,500 illegals, including murderers, rapists, drug traffickers and child sex predators, in the deep blue sanctuary city-heavy state of Massachusetts. Operation Patriot concluded on Saturday after netting 1,461 illegal aliens throughout the Greater Boston area and the state of Massachusetts, which includes numerous sanctuary jurisdictions. Sources at ICE told Fox News that 790 of those arrested had criminal convictions or charges and 277 had final removal or deportation orders. The sources said that all the targeted criminals were roaming the streets of Massachusetts cities freely before being apprehended. The operation ran throughout May and included ICE teams from other states in the Northeast and authorities from the FBI, DEA, and ATF. Fox News was embedded with ICE Boston on Thursday as part of this operation. While Fox News was embedded with ICE, agents arrested a murderer, two child rapists, including one living next to a playground, one fentanyl trafficker, one adult rapist, and one child sexual assaulter, all within the span of a few hours. Prior to this, the largest ICE operation was Operation Tidal Wave in Florida, which netted 1,120 arrests. Fox News was told Operation Patriot was significantly more difficult because, unlike Florida, ICE received no local assistance from Massachusetts sanctuary jurisdictions. Sources said the operation was in direct response to leaders in the city of Boston and Massachusetts refusing to cooperate with ICE. The sources said "hundreds" of the arrested targets had been released by local sanctuary jurisdictions with ICE detainers ignored. ICE also said it encountered daily interference from anti-ICE activist groups throughout Massachusetts. Massachusetts Democratic Governor Maura Healey has responded to ICE's operations in her state with outrage. Healey took to social media on Sunday evening to demand answers after ICE agents arrested 18-year-old Marcelo Gomes, who was an illegal and a junior at Milford High School in Milford, Massachusetts. In her post, Healey says she is "disturbed and outraged" and that she wants answers immediately explaining why the student was taken into immigration enforcement's custody. Healey asserted that "the Trump Administration continues to create fear in our communities, and it's making us all less safe." Speaking during a press conference on Monday, acting ICE Director Todd Lyons commented on the resistance from Massachusetts leaders, saying: "If sanctuary cities would change their policies and turn these violent criminal aliens over to us into our custody instead of releasing them into the public, we would not have to go out to the communities and do this." Lyons said the operation "just showed we need to come back and we're going to keep coming back because ICE is going to make sure that we keep our community safe and keep our neighborhood safe from these sex offenders and these criminal aliens." The press conference was held the same day that an illegal alien in Massachusetts named Lorenzo Lopez Alcario was arraigned on charges of raping a child with force. A copy of the charges obtained by Fox News Digital alleges that the child was tied during the rape. Commenting on the arraignment and on Operation Patriot, Jon Fetherston, a former Massachusetts migrant shelter director, told Fox News Digital that Democratic Governor Maura Healey's resistance to federal immigration enforcement operations is "not only unsafe for ICE agents, it's unsafe for all of us." Fetherston added that Healey's policies are "creating a climate of lawlessness, where even convicted criminals are shielded from federal enforcement." "That's not compassion — it's recklessness," he said. Healey's office did not immediately respond to a request by Fox News Digital for comment.
