What is believed to be one of the largest fentanyl pill drug busts in Colorado history was announced Wednesday at a joint press conference with the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office and the DEA. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. But only now after busts this week are indictments being revealed. DENVER (CBS4) - State, federal agents and prosecutors say they have arrested 34 people in a heroin distribution sweep that resulted in 57 state and federal indictments. "They can readily and easily take it out of the bag and give to the customers and move on with their day without law enforcement seeing them.". COLORADO FENTANYL SEIZURES THIS YEAR ALREADY SURPASS ALL OF LAST YEAR, AUTHORITIES SAY, Officers with the Colorado State Patrol made a seizure of 114 pounds of pure fentanyl on a highway on June 20. 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Almost 100 alleged drug traffickers and gang members are charged in what authorities say is the largest drug bust in Colorado history based of the quantity of drugs found and the numbers of people involved in the conspiracy. Eduardo Ruiz-Cisneros a/k/a Lalo This may be the biggest meth bust in American history . Even before this bust, Colorado State Patrol had seized more than 225 pounds of fentanyl. May 20, 2015 / 11:00 PM Seven separate indictments were issued, and most defendants had initial appearances in federal court Thursday afternoon. "Crimes of this nature destroy our neighborhoods and the futures of our children. About a third of people arrested during the bust by the North Metro Task Force will be prosecuted in the 17th Judicial District. Jim Lynch owns a house across the street, "I'm surprised, you know, I had no idea this was going on. We have brought to justice the high-level criminal bosses, money launderers and drug dealers who were profiting from the most vulnerable in our communities across the Denver metro area, she said. / CBS Colorado. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The owner of Heaven Dragon restaurant in Thornton was sentenced to prison in 2010 following an investigation known as "Operation Fortune Cookie. At the news conference, officials also highlighted the Colorado State Patrols recovery last month of 114 pounds of pure fentanyl on Interstate 70 near Georgetown from a vehicle headed toward Denver. The investigation started in December with a traffic stop by a Pueblo police officer. In federal court, seven Asian men and five women appeared before a magistrate to be advised of charges they face. The investigation was a collaborative effort of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Dunn's office, several Colorado district attorneys and over thirty local sheriff and police departments. "It's a quick and easy, accessible way for the sources of supply to talk to their workers up here and make sure it's a seamless business system," said Agent Rob Saccone with the DEA Strike Force. April 11, 2022 / 9:11 PM / CBS Colorado. So far the details surrounding who might have been arrested haven't been revealed. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Please enter valid email address to continue. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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 . LOS ANGELES SCHOOL STUDENTS INGEST ECSTASY PILLS LACED WITH FENTANYL, SUPERINTENDENT SAYS. What triggered this investigation was the very violent activity of some hard-core gang members, said Aurora Police Chief Daniel Oates. If you want to make sure you have the necessary supplies on hand to treat a future breakout, acne patches are the answer. But neighbors are certainly caught off guard when the busts happen. The record haul from last month's bust was . "To be clear, these grows are not ones that were otherwise legal under state law. Colorado law enforcement agencies included the Federal Bureau of . Besser said investigators are now seeing fentanyl and other deadly synthetic analogs routinely being mixed with conventional street drugs, including cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines and marijuana. In Colorado, fentanyl deaths increased more than tenfold in the past five years from 81 in 2017 to more than 900 in 2021, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. At the time, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said it was the second-largest bust ever, behind only a 5,000-pound bust in December 2019 in Laredo, Texas. Officers intercepted a truck carrying 55 million methamphetamine tablets and more . That's compared to 150 pounds all of last year. Last month, CSP troopers made what they believed was the biggest bust on a highway when they recovered 114 pounds of pure fentanyl on I-70 near Georgetown. Addiction experts say the explosion of heroin use began a few years ago when the drug maker of OxyContin reformulated their pills making it more difficult for people to crush them. 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Ivan Haro-Perez Roughly enough Heroin to supply an estimated 500,000 heroin users for a month. We reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. Heriberto Aceves-Velazquez a/k/a Erick LNU Even before this bust . Updated August 28, 2017 4:01 pm. Oscar Acosta-Estrada a/k/a Danny July 6, 2022 / 12:19 PM Click to skip ahead and jump to the 10 biggest drug busts in U.S. history. This month the DEA made the biggest meth bust in American history: 2200 pounds of meth, nearly 900 pounds of cocaine, and 13 pounds of heroin. AURORA More than 500 law enforcement agents have arrested 80 people in what prosecutors are calling one of the biggest drug operations in Denver's history. The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and prosecutors to attack the heroin epidemic and remove violent criminals from our neighborhoods.". Authorities said the penalties for a majority of the crimes charged range from 10 years to life in prison. "Its a continued cat and mouse game between law enforcement and cartels. One names two men with conspiring with the intent to distribute 1,000 or more marijuana plants. 114 . FBI Safe Streets is a great example of those relationships and the kind of effort that our citizens deserve. Pedro Gutierrez-Nunez a/k/a Carlos Both incidents happened on Nov. 9. In the first, 42-year-old Raymond Cabrera was arrested after police seized 28,500 fentanyl pills, 7.5 ounces of methamphetamine, 2 grams of cocaine, over $3,100 . Figures by the DEA say that one kilogram of fentanyl can kill up to 500,000 people. Access prisoner details via the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC). If you need help or are having issues with your commenting account, please email us at memberservices@denverpost.com. "Let me put that into perspective; the entire population of the state of Colorado is 6 million people," Besser said. There was a lot of intelligence derived from the Hoppin Hooded Bandits case, and they needed the resources to put it together, Yacone said of joining forces with other agencies. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. "(It) might be considered chump change to this organization because they cleared many millions of dollars in selling hard drugs," Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman said. Raul Estrada-Castillo a/k/a Javier Rios The 114 pounds of pure fentanyl powder was found below the passenger and driver seats, reachable by a trap door, and were in 48 one-kilo bricks. . "And literally within a day the organization was yet ordering another 10 or 20 pounds to replace the lost loads," said Kevin Merrill, Assistant Special Agent in Charge at the Denver DEA. Officers found 26,129 grams of cocaine, 1,000 grams of crack and a pound of methamphetamine. All rights reserved. Read more about our new commenting system here. Additional Information From TheColorado Attorney General's Office, Julio Estrada a/k/a Yael Osuna Navarro 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Almost 100 people have either been arrested or are on the run in what is being called the largest drug bust in Colorado history. Marcus Rodgers It determined members of the "Chinese Drug Trafficking Organization" were supplying marijuana to Asian Pride members. Many if not most were homes that had been rented or bought in suburban neighborhoods. In my 31 years of law enforcement, I have never seen anything like the current drug crisis, Besser said. What triggered this investigation was the very violent activity of some hard-core gang members, said Aurora Police Chief Daniel Oates. The court document says the investigation began in the summer of 2016 looking into what was called the "Asian Pride Drug Trafficking Organization." The Drug Enforcement Agency and the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office announced the bust Wednesday in Centennial, saying eight people have been indicted on allegations they were smugglers . First published on July 6, 2022 / 12:19 PM. If I did I would have called somebody. 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"Whether or not its on I-70 or on I-25, or its on secondary highways coming into our state, I would bet every hour of every day there is something.". This is poison. CU Buffs 2023 football schedule announced, AR-15 style rifle marketed for children showcased at Las Vegas gun convention: Despicable, Freshwater fish are significantly more contaminated with toxic forever chemicals than saltwater fish and shellfish, analysis shows, Polar bear killed a woman and a boy after chasing residents in Alaska town, Colorados major ski resorts could get a foot or more of snow this week, WATCH: White shark surprises boy in stunning fishing encounter off Fort Lauderdale, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information.