That includes carrying naloxone with you. Yeah, it's tough because I feel like in these situations, the truth always lies somewhere in between, right? So in many states, including Colorado where this story is based, they've actually handed down a lot of control over the cannabis industry to local municipalities and cities. Had these pills reached the streets, thousands of unwitting end users would have been at significant risk of overdose and death. This has happened in Canada, for instance, where there are jurisdictions with just no pot shops, so everyone in that jurisdiction who wants to buy weed has to get it from a black market dealer, right? Right. And then even if you have legal dispensaries, you'll also need to ensure supply and then also have a competitive price. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Agents said Colorado communities are safer now with the seized drugs and weapons off the streets, but the work is far from over. CBS4's Karen Morfitt spoke to Marion Rorke, Substance Use Coordinator for DDPHE, in February about the program that launched in September 2021. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. (CBS4) - The U.S. Department of Justice says a drug strike force dismantled a major drug dealing operation which was working in Denver and Aurora. 35 arrested after multiple drug busts across Maine, New Hampshire border. Of the 30 defendants indicted, 24 have been arrested and one is in state custody on a separate charge. Ashlie D. Stevens is Salon's deputy food editor. Whenever we take drugs off of our streets, we make our community a safer place in which to live, Mason said in a statement. I mean, I do some editorializing at the end of this show. Authorities and public health institutions point to the proliferation of illicit fentanyl an extremely potent synthetic opioid often disguised as prescription pills as a major contributor to the increased deaths in Colorado. Noun 1. drug bust - seizure of illegal drugs by the police drugs bust impounding, impoundment, internment, poundage - placing private property in the. "But, unfortunately here in Colorado, the numbers are higher at a 46% increase of drug overdose deaths," Keith Weis, Executive Director of Rocky Mountain HIDTA, said. 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At that time, there were 32 court cases that came out of this, and the state of Colorado wanted to make sure that it could successfully prosecute each of those cases without additional media coverage marring their legal cases. TORONTO - Twenty people are facing rafts of charges each and more than $61 million worth of cocaine, crystal meth and marijuana was seized in what Toronto police are calling the largest drug . 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. There's a lot of considerations that need to be carefully weighed to make sure we can slowly chip away at the black market. Between 2019 and 2020, the number of overdose deaths in Colorado involving fentanyl more than doubled, from 222 to 540. Under the caregiving program, they could grow up to 500 plants. Mexican cartel elements such as this criminal enterprise are directly responsible for the steady high rate of overdose deaths in the United States from both opioids and methamphetamine. According to the three and information from the attorney generals office, the 64 people who have been charged saw Colorado Statewide Grand Jury indictments against them returned between October 2019 and Thursday. Vallejo-Gallo is a Mexican national in the country unlawfully, who has been charged with operating a continuing criminal enterprise which is also known as a drug kingpin charge. Last year, 540 Coloradans died of fentanyl overdoses. Fentanyl alone drove the increase in opioid deaths in 2020, according to the Colorado Health Institute. Woman charged as federal 'kingpin' in major metro Denver-wide drug bust by: . More than $60,000 in cocaine seized from Edwards mobile home, Fentanyl-laced tablets linked to 8 overdoses in Northern Colorado, Activity must be a felony under federal drug laws, Activity must take place as a continuing series of violation, Must undertake the activity with five or more people, Defendant must as a supervisor or organizer or manager of the criminal enterprise, Must obtain substantial income or financial gain. Right, so the reality of the situation is that weed is still illegal at the federal level, and not all states have legal weed. I mean, how did you balance wanting to spotlight the work law enforcement did, while also giving voice to people on the other side of this bust all without feeling like either side was playing you? Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. A Boogie wit da Hoodie (nee Artist Dubose) - Dec. 7; the Bronx, NY-born rapper was arrested at his home in Demarest, NJ and charged with possession of marijuana and several handguns; two other men were also charged; had a No. RCMP arrest 14 people, seize 'significant quantity of drugs, firearms and cash' in major drug trafficking bust. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This spring, Le Creuset has introduced an exciting new shade thats already selling fast: shallot, a soft lavender with pink and slight gray undertones. By Shelly Bradbury. All are facing numerous charges for possession and distribution of illegal drugs, including methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and fentanyl. Officials say Candelaria Vallejo-Gallo is from Mexico and was in the country illegally. 35 people were arrested earlier this week after a drug distribution investigation between police departments and officials . Posted: Feb 19, 2020 / 06:11 PM . In his new podcast "The Syndicate," journalist Chris Walker goes beyond some of the case's flashy details, speaking to both the members of the criminal organization and the law enforcement agents who took them down, and uncovers how the push for legal marijuana in some states actually drives up black market demand nationally. If convicted as a drug kingpin, she faces 20 years to life in federal prison. Drug Enforcement Administration agents seized more than 2,200 pounds of methamphetamine earlier this month . "DEA lab testing revealed, on average, 2 out of every 5 pills laced with fentanyl contains a potential lethal dose," said David Olesky, DEA Denver Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge. You'd have to be continually hiding that from, you know, even like your local garbage collector. RELATED: More than $60,000 in cocaine seized from Edwards mobile home. In October 2014, SWAT team officers and DEA agents kicked down the doors of 32 people around Denver, all members of a massive marijuana-smuggling ring. Those in custody are being held on a $500,000 bond or greater. Are other banks to follow? "The influx of fake prescription opioids is a growing and deadly concern for this office. At about 9:30 in the morning multiple law enforcement agencies executed two search warrants in the Casa de Cortez Apartments. Ontario Provincial Police unveiled details of the investigation and a display of the evidence seized during operation DAYTONA in Ottawa Thursday Jan 30, 2020. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Colorado communities and families have suffered greatly from the opioid epidemicand that impact is getting worse during this pandemic. First published on September 3, 2021 / 3:46 PM. Then approaching alleged members of this group was a whole other path that I had to go down. Undercover agents set up two buys from one of Romos associates, Saul Ramon Rivera Beltran, and purchased heroin, fentanyl and meth, according to the indictment. Every single person was different,so those conversations were always interesting for me to test out. And it was just shocking the size and scale of this black market operation. While conducting a series of arrests across Denver and Aurora Feb. 12 . If you're doing that in a state like Minnesota, you have a couple options. Following a drug bust in Colorado this week where 110,000 counterfeit pills cut with fentanyl were seized, one Front Range District Attorney is calling for revised laws surrounding the drug. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Thats why addressing this crisis is a top priority for our office, Weiser said in a statement. So there are well-established markets in both states that have legal cannabis and in states that don't. So they got plenty of attention at the time, there was a big press conference at the Colorado Attorney General's office, and every outlet in Denver and many around the country, as well, covered this story. Defendants face charges including racketeering, distribution of controlled substances and money laundering. In 2021, the monthly average is 64 or two a day. "This criminal enterprise was responsible for poisoning our community and furthering the meth and opioid epidemic, but today our community is safer" said. WESTMINSTER, Colo. (CBS4) - The North Metro Drug Task Force arrested two men for allegedly selling drugs from a home after receiving more than 100 complaints. Law enforcement seizes 110,000 fentanyl pills, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Colorado House plans revival of Polis gutted zoning reform bill, Law enforcement seizes 110,000 fentanyl pills from Denver-area stash houses; 19 indicted in trafficking ring, A drug of mass destruction: Fentanyl deaths surge in Colorado, reaching an average of two fatalities a day, Fatal drug overdoses surged 59% in Colorado last year as overall deaths rose during the pandemic, Colorado drug dealer gets 5 years for selling fatal dose of fentanyl, Four arrested in connection with shooting outside Aurora mall, Mesa County, health contractor to pay $2 million after 27-year-old dies of epileptic seizures in jail, 14-year-old girl missing from Denver found safe, Driver dies, passenger survives fatal Corvette rollover crash that forced closure of northbound I-225, Forty-two percent of illicit fentanyl pills tested by the DEA nationwide, according to the Colorado Health Institute. Updated: Oct 8, 2020 / 07:49 PM MDT . December 30, 2020. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Daniel Valentine, 42, was arrested in the bust that happened last week. Drug Enforcement Administration Denver Field Division, Photos from the DEA show thousands of fentanyl pills and several pounds of meth seized in the dismantling of a drug trafficking organization, Colorado law enforcement officials announce arrest of 64 in international drug trafficking ring, Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. DEA agents began the investigation in April by focusing on a single person, Samuel Padilla Romo. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Chinese electric vehicle brands expand to global, Qantas names chief financial officer Vanessa Hudson, These are the last days to access free COVID tests, No-knock warrant restrictions advance in Colorado, AP source: Broncos pick up Jeudys fifth-year option, Cron powers Rockies to 12-4 win over Diamondbacks, Former Broncos players daughter drowns in pool, Avs forward Cogliano fractured neck in Game 6, Le Creuset just launched a dreamy new color for spring, Our fitness expert weighs in on this years top spring, Picnic-planning ideas for the spring season, Bill to extend Medicaid coverage heads to Polis, Floods reported along I-70 near Hanging Lake exit. Legalizing weed nationally is just not going to solve the problem overnight. Published August 18, 2020 6:00PM (EDT) The Syndicate (Photos provided by publicist/Salon) Facebook Twitter Email save In October 2014, SWAT team officers and DEA agents kicked down the doors of. The pills were disguised to look like prescription oxycodone. Keeler: Avs fans, could we please skip Valeri Nichushkin, Nazem Kadri revisionist history? Kevin Durant moped. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. And they [the members of "The Syndicate"] were also taking advantage of an antiquated law in Colorado called the caregiving program. Some of those details did come out in the initial media coverage and press conference around the bust in 2015. . Four of those charges related to a drug felony in a public park. Please enter valid email address to continue. Officialssays 30 people were indicted including the so-called drug kingpin who ran the operation. Four others are in Mexico and one is at large in the U.S. April 28, 2020 / 11:48 AM / CBS Colorado COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) - Police in Colorado Springs made a big drug bust in Fountain thanks to the help of K9 officer Sugar. Forty-two percent of illicit fentanyl pills tested by the DEA nationwide contained at least 2 mg of fentanyl, considered a potentially lethal dose. This criminal enterprise was responsible for poisoning our community and furthering the opioid and meth epidemic but today our community is safer, Phillips said. SALON is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a trademark of Salon.com, LLC. In that same time frame, deadly overdoses increased by 22%. Was that a fear of yours? Weiser, Mason and Reuter lauded the local, state and federal partnership that they said was key to bringing down the organization and helping curb the ongoing increase in fentanyl trafficking and overdose deaths, which have risen sharply in the past few years in Colorado. They also recovered from the drug ring 250 pounds of methamphetamine, 60 pounds of heroin, 6.8 kilograms of cocaine, 12 firearms, 19 vehicles and $931,000 in U.S. currency. This impressive collaboration between law enforcement agencies is a true success story for making our entire community safer.. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. One of the questions that is raised in "The Syndicate" is about how the medical marijuana system can be gamed, like it was by thealleged ringleaderTri Nguyen. This really gets to why many of these group members originated in Minnesota and came to Colorado, which had a legal market. "Overdoses caused by fentanyl can happen faster and are harder to stop than those caused by other opioids," DDPHE said. I think it is an argument for taking cannabis off the schedule of drugs, or at least getting it out of Schedule I drug classification at the federal level. The DEA says this fentanyl bust is part of a national crisis. Agents set up a wiretap on Romos phone and for months tracked his calls, setting up more wiretaps as they identified people who were also involved in drug and gun sales. It's an FDA-approved medicine to rapidly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Using that statistic, Colorado law enforcement estimated the 110,000 pills they seized couldve contained more than 46,000 lethal pills. Eight of the 19 people indicted in the trafficking ring remained at large Wednesday, officials said. If you want to plan the perfect spring picnic, food and drink are important, but its certainly not the only factor to consider. In addition to the drugs and weapons that were recovered, the investigation also dug up an alleged money laundering operating that sent money back and forth to Mexico from Adams County, Colorado Springs and the Denver area. The Aurora Police Department assisted in the seizure on Amherst Circle. Would we have as much black market activity, and would a group like this have been able to pull off the feat they did, if we had just across-the-country legal cannabis? Police arrested the alleged drug dealers in Colorado, Arizona, and California. Are other banks to follow? Provisional data from 2021 indicates that fentanyl is present in nearly 50% of all accidental drug-related deaths in Denver, according to the Denver Department of Public Health and. What did it look like when you were trying to gain access to some of these people? So, the state's stayed tight-lipped about this for about four years, but I knew that I if I could ever get access to some of the operatives who were allegedly involved in this group, as well as get the law enforcement side, it would just be a fascinating insight into how black market groups operate. But that's not to say that there isn't also a thriving black market in states that have legalized weed. They said that several ringleaders of the organization were indicted on violations of the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act and the Colorado Controlled Substances Act. And then in conjunction with what I was saying earlier, too, they could establish their warehouse right next to the hundreds of legitimate ones that are spread throughout the city. Candelaria Vallejo-Gallo, who is in the U.S. illegally, was arrested at her home in Aurora last week and charged with operating a continuing criminal enterprise (CCE), also known as drug kingpin charge. / CBS Colorado, UPDATE: Aurora Woman Who Was 'Kingpin' Of Drug Running Operation Sentenced To Prison. Denver residents can also get that medicine, along with fentanyl test strips, sent to them for free from the city. Between 2016 and 2020, the number of fentanyl deaths has increased tenfold. On the drug smuggler side, it was a horrific experience, having a SWAT team bust through your windows and explode flash bangs in your home and terrorize your family. Colorado law enforcement officials on Wednesday announced the indictment by the 18th Judicial District grand jury of 19 people on 20 felonies in connection to the multi-state drug trafficking ring. If youre thinking of altering your workout routine, youre probably looking for new exercises and equipment to help you reach your fitness goals. "I cannot overstate how dangerous that was to the community," Dunn said. So, the law enforcement side, that's easier to answer. On Tuesday, the Center Police Department shared an update on the bust. "We really do this for a lot of reasons. Acting DEA Administrator Timothy Shea announced the bust at a press conference Wednesday. Mills was arrested at the Race Street location. I mean, it was the largest pot bust in Colorado since the state had legalized recreational weed in 2012. This press conference made a splash. Drug overdose deaths have increased 30% nationwide. According to the indictments and other court documents, following an investigation that began in late 2018, agents seized approximately 400 pounds of methamphetamine, five pounds of heroin, four pounds of cocaine, and 15,000 fentanyl pills, which were disguised to look like prescription oxycodone. For almost five years, the group had fooled regulators overseeing Colorado's medical marijuana industry by operating seemingly legitimate growhouses, all the while trafficking its harvests out of state using cars and skydiving planes. The charges were announced Friday by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Denver Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne Reuter. Some of the people discussed working with people in Mexico to source the purchases, according to the indictment. So what this group did is they all registered as caregivers and then pooled all their pot together. Four suspects are in Mexico and one is at large in the U.S., according to federal authorities. Agents identified Beltran as the leader of the group. (CBC) In a news release, Toronto police describe a. It was a fairly impressive investigation. of methamphetamine, 4 lbs. "This investigation is not about the amount of drugs seized or number of people arrested," said Olesky. And they did have registered patients as well, but they were using all their allotted plants to really grow for the black market and ship it out of state. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. If youre thinking of altering your workout routine, youre probably looking for new exercises and equipment to help you reach your fitness goals. Greed is a traffickers main motivation. The other people indicted face charges ranging from conspiracy to distribute drugs, possession with intent to distribute and money laundering. That's just like a massive wave of support for federal legalization, which could immediately tackle part of this problem. Project Corredor began in Autumn 2019, Belanger said, and culminated when search warrants were carried out beginning in early 2020. "The operation resulted in the seizure of over 400 pounds of methamphetamine, more than 15,000 fentanyl pills, five pounds of heroin and over four pounds of cocaine," said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. You know, how can I work with this individual to get their story out there in a respectful, but also truthful way, to make sure that I wasn't getting spun as well? And what we're seeing right now is a sort of corporatization in the cannabis industry and big Wall Street-backed companies that are starting in multiple states. A Boogie wit da Hoodie's mug shot. They were using skydiving planes to ship pot out of state. You still need to make sure that consumers can find weed in conveniently available locations. April 28, 2020 / 11:48 AM They also found four firearms, two of them stolen. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The investigation first started in March 2019 after a tip from law enforcement in Las Vegas, Reuter said. The first batch of people were prosecuted by Weisers office and the 1st Judicial District Attorneys Office in Jefferson County, and two more series of indictments were filed in Adams County and are being prosecuted by the officers of Weiser and Mason. Tweet. US to lift most federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates, Aurora golf course using scooters as golf carts, Judge blocks Missouri rule that would limit transgender, Denver Public Schools releases draft safety plan, Boulder gets funds to improve school street safety, Mom gets $2 million in jail death of disabled son, Stepmothers web searches revealed in murder trial, BestReviews.com - Top gifts to make everyone happy this spring, Surprise your mom with one of these Mothers Day, Mothers Day inspo: This foot massager has 20,000, Drew Barrymores Walmart collection is perfect for, Best Mothers Day gifts for the budding plant mom, Best Mothers Day Gifts for moms obsessed with books, Set of quadruplets set to graduate from MSU together, Polis rolls out plan to curb property taxes, 4 arrested after shooting outside Southlands Mall, Denver restaurant closes after 50 years in business, When to water: A guide to Colorado lawn, garden health, Report: Students drew swastikas after Holocaust presentation, Denver weather: Storm chance every day this week, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. You can get naloxone for free from StoptheClockColorado.org. First published on April 28, 2020 / 11:48 AM. 2020 / 06:11 PM MST. . Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Dean Phillips said the technique aims to increase profits and prevent users from knowing the lethal consequences of their narcotics. September 3, 2021 / 3:46 PM
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