Authorities have also seized $16 million in drug money. Drugs and Crime City Profile: Denver, Colorado COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - Police in Colorado Springs made a major drug bust and believe they have their prime suspect in custody. State and federal authorities confiscated 200,000 fentanyl pills, 9.4 pounds of heroin, a kilogram of cocaine and multiple firearms in an operation they say culminated in one of the largest seizures of fentanyl pills in Colorado history. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Since 2015, Besser said the drug landscape has shifted considerably, moving from organic heroin to synthetic pills, which are both more discreet and more lucrative for cartels. FBI Chicago October 04, 2011. The illicit drug has been seen on state highways more than ever before. There are about 6 million people living in Colorado.Editor's Note: A previous version of the story said the amount of fentanyl seized could kill as many as 25 million people. No one is immune from this drug crisis. Police in Arvada got quite a surprise while conducting a search warrant for narcotics distribution. The leader of the group, Candelaria Vallejo-Gallo, was arrested last week in her Aurora home, according to Dean Phillips, acting special agent in charge at the Denver division of the FBI. Roughly $650,000 worth of drugs seized as three arrested in - WITN Meaning heavier snow in southern Colorado and across the south-eastern plains. ", RELATED: Denver Health Officials Warn About Increase In Deadly Overdoses Linked To Fentanyl. They're sold in the Denver area wholesale for $3 a pill or retail for $10 to $20, investigators say. As of March 31 in Colorado, a total of about 1.1 million fentanyl pills have been collected although DEA Special Agent Brian Besser said he believes that number has doubled since three months ago. There's a rise in anxiety, depression and even suicidal thoughts. Kellner spoke about border security, attributing some of the problems to the ease of accessibility to the United States from the southern border. Tapia-Rubio is named in the court records, among 13 other people. Mills has gone before a judge and bond was set. The big storm system from the southwest is still on track to move across southern New Mexico. Three Arrested in Aurora Drug Sweep. Those 11 people are included in a federal indictment that was released later on Tuesday. for the State of Colorado (19.3 percent) but is higher than the national rate (14.7 percent) (Figure 1). 19 arrested in Greeley cocaine, marijuana crackdown | 9news.com - KUSA.com Largest Database of Colorado Mugshots. On January 23, 2019, a federal Superseding Indictment was filed against Dana Faulkner, also known as "Diablo" (age 40), of Aurora, CO, charging him with Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances (methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine) in the Rapid City and Northern Black Hills area, Use of Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crime, Courtesy of the Adams County Sheriff's Office. Because of Thursday's law enforcement. Daytime high temperatures will be in the mid to upper 40s throughout the front range. DEA: 21 charged in Denver-area drug ring with cartel ties; 110k A Mexican national who was residing in Aurora illegally, Vallejo-Gallo and her group used overland traffickers and UPS shipments to get drugs to the metroplex, according to Dunn. Colorado will be caught between a high pressure ridge to the east and a deep low pressure trough to the west. The Drug Enforcement Agency and the 18th Judicial District Attorneys Office announced the bust Wednesday in Centennial, saying eight people have been indicted on allegations they were smugglers and distributors in a drug trafficking organization that focused on methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl, the deadly synthetic opioid. According to the documents, some of the drugs sold by Tapia-Rubio were brought in from Mexico, via California. Press Release. Seizure of 200,000 fentanyl pills declared one of largest ever in Colorado Denver police and firefighters responded to an apartment at 8330 Quincy Avenue for a suspected drug operation. Cant take statins? JOLIET, IL On Tuesday, the Will County Sheriff's Office announced a major drug bust led to the recovery of 13 bundles of meth, two containers of Fentanyl pills and eight bundles of cocaine . Approximately 15,000 candy-colored pills were seized in Manhattan, according to the DEA. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. 4, Clovis PD Special Enforcement Team (S.E.T.) According to DEA estimates, one kilo of pure fentanyl powder is enough to kill 500,000 people. Police executed a search warrant at Ramirez's house located in the 20500 block of East Buchanan Drive on Dec. 29, APD said. NASCAR superstar Chase Elliott had successful surgery for an unspecified injury to his left leg Friday night, hours after a snowboarding accident in Colorado. Fentanyl pills are extremely cheap right now, officials said Wednesday. Wanted Collection FBI - Federal Bureau of Investigation AURORA, Mo. Read More. Kellner said the sting operation began in December 2021 with a single drug buy that evolved into more purchases, then wiretaps, search warrants and seizures. "They have a bunch of Alprazolam (Xanax) and oxycodone in with other peoples names on, the thing wrapped up in money sock full of money," an officer can be heard saying on bodycam video. Colorado's first fully-licensed legal marijuana tour bus is now open for business. Authorities also recovered 10 guns during the investigation, which began in January 2019. Authorities: Package in the mail containing THC oil leads to large drug Lizalde and Angelique Torres, who were both in the car, are facing felony drug charges. The investigation that turned into a joint wiretap probe with the 18th Judicial District, DEA, Arapahoe County and Denver police began in December 2021, Kellner said. Five people were arrested in Fort Collins after their alleged role in a drug bust. Law enforcement officials said cartels have designed the latest batches to be attractive to young people, with one official comparing their creativity to Baskin-Robbins ice cream flavors. 21 charged in Cartel-linked drug distribution ring in Colorado - KMGH 9Wants to Know saw members of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Aurora Police Department at two locations in Aurora, one was a home, the other a business, in the Mississippi and I-225 area. Ive got a news flash for you. - 1.7 pounds of fentanyl tablets (approximately 8,000 to 10,000 pills). The availability and accessibility of fake pills (laced with fentanyl) right now is absolutely staggering. In 2021, she decided to return to local news. Rep. Diane DeGette is pushing legislation to expand a federal program to help people pay their utility bills and still make ends meet. In my opinion, bulk fentanyl quantities like this hold the caliber of weapons of mass destruction-type concern when we take into consideration the worst possible outcomes of this poison being pushed out in mass to our communities, said Brian Besser, the special agent in charge of the DEAs Denver Field Division. A 40-year Colorado news veteran, Carol McKinley started in radio, and traveled the world as a network TV correspondent/producer. Four arrested following large-scale drug bust in Adams County 4 Loveland men arrested, another wanted in Northern Colorado drug bust Officials says 30 people were indicted. In the latest bust, authorities seized 170,000 fentanyl pills outside of an Aurora apartment. Polis said the plan will build on previous efforts to bring down costs and increase transparency. A K9 team in Weld County successfully seized more than 88 pounds of methamphetamine recently, worth more than half a million dollars in street value. Carly McKinney's Twitter page contained half-naked photos and all kinds of chatter about marijuana, including a boast of . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. A 19-year-old Arizona man is under arrest in Colorado's high country after authorities found large amounts of drugs in his car. CBS News Colorado has learned that a veteran Denver police lieutenant is under investigation after he struck and killed a pedestrian. But make no mistake: In this case, my understanding is the drugs here were actually bound for Colorado. The Justice Department is assisting Ukraine in an investigation into war crimes committed by Russia. Special Agent Garrett Croon (312) 829-1199. APD makes arrests following Social Media Drug Operation - KRQE The fentanyl flooding Colorado this summer is cheaper, now comes in pink and white, and is sometimes laced with the taste of monk fruit. Its crucially important to include a financial component in investigations of drug-related crimes, Amanda Prestegard, acting special agent in charge of IRS Criminal Investigations said. One of four suspects arrested at a hotel near Coors Field says there was no plot to shoot MLB All-Star Game fans, even though one of his friends harbored a large cache of weapons in his room. "The Boss" performed in Colorado as part of his Springsteen E Street Band 2023 Tour and also surprised a Denver store owner a few hours before the show. Denver leaders including Mayor Michael Hancock and Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen spoke with journalists on Sunday afternoon after what police describe as a "suspicious occurrence" near Coors Field. Two people got caught with an illegal psilocybin mushroom grow and other drugs in a Lyons home. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Court records show he's been charged with the following felonies: Ramirez' next court date is scheduled for Jan. 6. Former Washington Capital forward Lars Eller is now a member of the Colorado Avalanche! In an effort to beef up hiring numbers, the city is reforming its hiring practices by adopting more relaxed standards. A months-long investigation in Colorado Springs ended with the arrest of William Johns on Aug. 4. Colorado law enforcement officials said Wednesday that millions of lives may have been saved after several months of undercover investigation into those suspected of distributing illegal fentanyl pills. DENVER (CBS4) - Denver police announced on Friday that they found a large supply of various illegal drugs at two homes in the Denver metro area and arrested a 59-year-old man who was allegedly planning to deal them. After another large bust, drug enforcement officials warn the public not to get weary of fentanyl news, Hondu Multiservicios, LLC at 6671 Federal Boulevard, according to the grand jury indictment obtained by The Gazette, Report: Reliever Brad Hand signs with Colorado Rockies, Jamal Murray's big second half serves as last laugh vs. old friend and Memphis Grizzlies, National park in Colorado ranks 4th most-visited nationwide, others rank much lower, Locals concerned about possibility of Colorado's 43rd state park, COLUMN: Pandemics bureaucrats betrayed our trust | Jimmy Sengenberger, EDITORIAL: Legislators want local heroin injection sites, Brewers' Bracket: Vote for your favorite Denver or Front Range brewery, DENVER GAZETTE PODCASTS | News, Sports, Politics and Lifestyle, Sign up for our newsletters and get the news that matters most delivered to your inbox, Colorado's fentanyl crisis: Full coverage, Alleged driver of record fentanyl haul in Colorado is MIA, Class-action suit filed against parental evaluator who said he disbelieves 90% of domestic violence allegations, Wine sales in Colorado grocery, convenience stores begin this week, In search of fairness: Tug-of-war between jury inclusiveness and juror impartiality reaches Colorado Supreme Court, Rent control bill heads to Colorado Senate with uncertain future, Colorado legislators kill 'fair workweek' bill requiring payment to workers for 'show-up time'. Besser said the I-70 and I-25 corridors are where the deadly drugs head East while money heads South. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports are the primary drivers of the recent increase in opioid overdose deaths in the U.S. before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The drug market morphs by the hour. Colorado Postcards are snapshots of our colorful state in sound. Denver Police Chief Paul M. Pazen said in a statement that his department "continue to arrest those who prey on those who suffer from addiction. Aurora only hired 17 new police officers last year. Besser said he worries that fentanyl could soon be laced into vape products, which are already incredibly popular with many younger users. (WEHT) Five people were put behind bars in Evansville after a suspicious package led to a large drug bust. Drug kingpins dont always touch the drugs, but they do always touch the money.. Our newsletters bring you a closer look at the stories that affect you and the music that inspires you. The same week of that large drug bust, Miller seized more . for top stories from 9NEWS curated daily just for you. Officials said kids are buying drugs with emojis and text messages and they can do it anonymously. Besser had a laundry list of what the DEA is doing behind the scenes to eradicate drug traffic, including the investigation of 50 active cases, a third of which are in the 18thJudicial District. Private and rental vehicles and commercial trucks fre-quently are used to transport drugs into and through Colorado. That number was nationwide. Well over 300 special agents and officers arrested 28 defendants for drug trafficking and related crimes during early morning raids. Douglas. Washington, D.C. Man Convicted After Nine-Day Trial for Use of a Firearm in Connection with a Murder and a Robbery, and for a Drug Distribution Conspiracy. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Electric vehicles are the future, at least that's what Colorado's Energy Office is hoping. Deputies say Payton Yates and Keith Tacy were living at the house. Come Wednesday, families will be receiving their SNAP benefits without the additional emergency allotments they've been getting for the last three years. Federal, state and local law enforcement in Adams County announced on Friday the dismantling of a drug trafficking operation that has led to state-level indictments of 64 people, seizure of $931,000 in U.S, currency and 77,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl, along with methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine. You think the cartels are in Mexico? Sizemore collapsed at his home in Los Angeles last month after suffering a brain aneurysm. Example video title will go here for this video. The Lookout is a free, daily email newsletter with news and happenings from all over Colorado. An 18thJudicial District grand jury indicted eight people, some of whom were related, on charges of smuggling and distributing meth, heroin and fentanyl pills, all of which originated in Mexico. On Wednesday, Besser, the sheriffs in Arapahoe and Douglas counties, Denver police andJohn Kellner, the district attorney for Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties, announced their latest in a string of fentanyl busts, almost apologizing that fentanyl news is getting so commonplace that theyre afraid people have stopped paying attention. In the latest drug bust, authorities seized 200,000 fentanyl pills in an operation which was operating out of a business called Hondu Multiservicios, LLC at 6671 Federal Boulevard, according to the grand jury indictment obtained by The Gazette. The arrests were made by over 500 law enforcement officers, making this the largest drug bust in Denver history. Ramirez posted bond on Dec. 30. The Special Operations Unit found $18,645 in cash, 250 grams of marijuana, 231 Xanax pills, 108 oxycodone, 25 pills of molly, and a digital scale all in the car. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. 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Guns, drugs found at Maven Hotel in Denver on All-Star - FOX31 Denver As the spring homebuying season approaches, affordability is at its lowest point in history, one economist said. Should Denver open a safe drug use site? Aurora Crime & Safety News | Aurora, IL Patch Colorado Drug Bust: Heroin, Cocaine & Fentanyl Found Phoenix Man's Car A 19-year-old Arizona man is under arrest in Colorado's high country after authorities found large amounts of drugs in. The identity of the cars driver is being kept secret to protect his family from retribution from drug cartels. Dunn and Phillips praised the collaborative effort among a variety of federal agencies that helped to build the criminal case against the trafficking groups and to arrest two dozen alleged members. In one shipment recovered by authorities, drugs were hidden in a childs backpack and mailed through UPS to a woman in the ring who had children, Dunn said. Safford Police bust alleged heroin dealer - The Gila Herald Jared Polis has endorsed the proposal to change the name of Mount Evans in a letter to the U.S. Board of Geographic Names. Law enforcement hasnt yet arrested the original dealer, believed to be in Mexico, who coordinated with the group. 21, 2022 at 1:05 PM PDT. Gov. By Tony Keith. Fatal doses involving the drug have skyrocketed since 2015, and last year, more than 800 Coloradans died after , It sounded just like a plot out of Breaking Bad. Now: 1 location off miss & Peoria in aurora. Denver Restaurant Week is officially upon us! After another large bust, drug enforcement officials warn the public The DEA says his busts have kept 20 tons of illicit drugs off the streets . The Aurora residence was on the 12100 block of Amherst Circle. The three suspects were identified as 25-year-old Martin Eduardo BustosTorres, 23 . Denver drug bust nets 179 lbs. meth, thousands of fentanyl pills In my 31 years of law enforcement, I have never seen anything like the current drug crisis, Besser said. Five people were discovered dead inside a Colorado apartment where a 4-month-old baby was also found alive after what police are investigating as a drug-fueled party involving fentanyl . Vallejo-Gallo, who is in her early 40s, faces more than 50 counts, including the rarely levied charge of continuing a criminal enterprise or a drug kingpin charge, according to local U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. Denver7 reporter Liz Gelardi tells us more about a drug ring hiding in plain sight. Investigators intercepted several shipments of drugs, Phillips said. The influx of fake prescription opioids is a growing and deadly concern for this office and the law enforcement community as a whole, he said. Suspicious mail leads to large drug bust in Evansville Tipsters can remain anonymous. Because of its central location, Colorado is now a critical trans-shipment hub in the West for drug smugglers, officials warned, and the price has become right. The Adams County Sheriff's Office says they were part of a large task force which took down a massive drug bust. FBI identifies Aurora woman as suspected kingpin of Mexican drug ring busted in metro area U.S. Attorney photo Authorities seized 400 pounds of methamphetamine, 15,000 fentanyl pills, five pounds. Theyre here. 64 people indicted in huge Colorado drug trafficking bust We are watching a system moving across Utah that will bring increasing snow chances for the mountains for your Friday afternoon and evening. They pulled him over, smelled marijuana, and found the drugs and cash in the car. 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AURORA, Ill. - Police found more than $18,000 in cash and more than 300 pills during a traffic stop in west suburban Aurora Tuesday night. On the early morning of Thursday, Mar. Authorities seized 400 pounds of methamphetamine, 15,000 fentanyl pills, 5 pounds of heroin and 4 pounds of cocaine during the sweeping arrests last week, Dunn said. Dezmen Albritton. APD makes several arrests in Social Media Drug Operation. DEA announces one of the largest fentanyl seizures in Colorado history Had these pills reached the street, thousands of unwitting end users would have been at significant risk of overdose and death as weve already seen too much of lately in Colorado.. So its often mixed with other substances, oftentimes inert substances, and then pressed into pill form to look like prescription oxycodone.. FBI busts Mexican drug trafficking operation in Denver, Aurora Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Scout Motors picks South Carolina for new $2B EV. 32 suspects charged in 'multimillion-dollar Colorado marijuana scheme Those documents were protected by court order. Bulk fentanyl quantities like this hold the caliber of weapons of mass destruction-type concern, Besser said Wednesday. The four weapons seized included an AR-15-style rifle and a 9 mm handgun, authorities said. They also confiscated 9.4 pounds of heroin, a 2.2 pounds of cocaine, four guns including an AR-15. AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - A popular grocery store in Aurora was raided as part of the takedown of a large-scale cocaine and methamphetamine organization. Feds bust prolific drug cartel suspected of pumping - Sentinel Colorado Police found more than $18,000 in cash and more than 300 pills during a traffic stop in west suburban Aurora Tuesday night. Aurora Police said the investigation began in September after their narcotics. Even fruit-flavored incarnations of the pill are being found, some being etched with the BMW or Mercedes logos, they said. We can help you keep up.
, Players given Kratom by Colorado coach, police say, Skier Shiffrin's quest for 86th win extended after downhill, 77 inches of snow fall at Colorado ski area in 9 days. The Denver Police Department is launching a new program they say will help them curb crime throughout the city by starting with tracking some cars. 5 dead, baby found alive at suspected drug party in Colorado On Feb. 28, the drug task force made up of officers from the Safford, Thatcher, and Pima Police departments, Graham County Sheriff's Office, and Arizona Department of Public Safety, raided the residence at about 6:45 a.m. by announcing their presence via a loudspeaker and breaching the front door using door rams and pry bars. Food Bank of the Rockies says statewide, that's about $53 million to $55 million less per month. The investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force has been going on for at least a year.