By Steve Neavling
The DEA said it arrested 617 people in a weeklong operation targeting the Sinaloa cartel, seizing large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, guns, and millions of dollars in cash and assets.
The coordinated raids, carried out Aug. 25–29 across 23 U.S. field divisions and seven foreign regions, netted 480 kilograms of fentanyl powder, more than 714,000 counterfeit pills, 2,209 kilograms of meth, 7,469 kilograms of cocaine, 420 firearms, and nearly $13 million, according to the DEA.
“These results demonstrate the full weight of DEA’s commitment to protecting the American people,” DEA Administrator Terrance Cole said in a news release. “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.”
The Sinaloa cartel, designated a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration in February, “remains one of the most significant threats to public safety, public health and national security in the U.S.,” the DEA said.
Brian M. Clark, special agent in charge of the Los Angeles Field Division, said the cartel’s influence extends far beyond Mexico.
“The Sinaloa Cartel’s reach is vast and unremitting,” Clark said. “This ruthless cartel is intent on cashing in, permeating our communities with their poison, with no regard to human suffering. For that reason, DEA’s work remains critical and laser-focused. The success achieved during this operation is a direct result of the unwavering and exceptional work by the men and women of DEA.”
