Greed is a traffickers main motivation. Candelaria Vallejo-Gallo, who lives in Aurora, was charged as a federal drug kingpin. 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. The Syndicate had made 12 million dollars in 4 years, and 32 people involved were indicted. A small bag of straight Fentanyl on display (Photo by Ty Wright for/ For The Washington Post via Getty Images), the deaths of five people in Commerce City, Big Denver Drug Bust: Dealer Allegedly Had Nearly 10,000 Fentanyl Pills, 179 Pounds Of Meth. Officers found more . That's just in the city of Denver alone. 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. 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. An eight-month investigation into a drug trafficking ring based in metro Denver led law enforcement to seize 110,000 fentanyl pills, 13 pounds of meth, 8 pounds of heroin, 24 pounds of cocaine and $450,000 in cash hidden in houses, apartments and secret compartments in cars. September 3, 2021 / 3:46 PM Federal indictments that were unsealed Wednesday name 30 defendants at least 24 have been arrested for their roles in two separate drug organizations that were involved in weekly high volume narcotics trafficking, according to Phillips. December 2, 2021 / 10:11 AM What are some of the policy issues that you're hoping people maybe do consider if they're listening to "The Syndicate"? 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. So, all of which to say, federal legalization is a step towards combating some of these problems, but it's a long road ahead. I think the first and most immediate one, or the most obvious one, is just this question of federal legalization. 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. "The larger criminal enterprise used Denver and Aurora as a base of operations for distribution throughout the state and elsewhere throughout the United States," Phillips said. The reason for that is that one personally actually went on the lam and it took until 2019 to locate him in North Carolina and prompt extradite him back to Colorado. We're seeing multimillion dollar bidding wars for the limited licenses that come up in the new markets. Project Corredor began in Autumn 2019, Belanger said, and culminated when search warrants were carried out beginning in early 2020. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Officialssays 30 people were indicted including the so-called drug kingpin who ran the operation. Authorities arrested five people in connection with an alleged . So I approached the state and say, "Hey, I can tell you spent a lot of resources and time on this investigation, and I want to help you spotlight the work that you did, and also find out what this says about the black market.". Copyright 2023 Salon.com, LLC. Cash, guns and several vehicles were also seized, according to Phillips. 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. 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It's an FDA-approved medicine to rapidly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Updated: 10:33 PM MST February 19, 2020 DENVER A woman who's accused of being the ringleader of a large drug ring operation in the Denver metro area has been charged as a kingpin, a. On that note, you mentioned that you knew early on that you wanted to speak with people on both sides you know, growing and distributing, and then on the law enforcement side. The investigation first started in March 2019 after a tip from law enforcement in Las Vegas, Reuter said. Public health officials advise anyone who uses substances or knows someone who uses substances to not only share this warning but to also take tangible steps to help prevent deaths. DENVER (KDVR) Police have announced a significant drug bust in Denver that turned up more than 200 pounds of drugs, including meth, cocaine, heroin, crack and thousands of fentanyl pills. 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. The Denver Police Department will continue to arrest those who prey on those who suffer from addiction, Chief Paul M. Pazen said in a news release. The DEA says this fentanyl bust is part of a national crisis. The indictment outlines the extensive investigation by a coalition of Denver-area agencies working with the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area into the trafficking ring. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4)- Police in Colorado Springs made a big drug bust in Fountain thanks to the help of K9 officer Sugar. 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. . 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. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. March 11, 2022 / 2:51 PM The Adams County SWAT team went into. December 30, 2020. Law enforcement connected the trafficking to seven residences spread across the metro area, including homes in east Denver, Commerce City and Thornton, according to the indictment. two thirds of Americans favor recreational pot and around 80% favor medical marijuana. When it started, they had about ten requests for supplies a month. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Officials on Wednesday said they linked the drugs to the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico but didnt offer details on how they made the connection. "I cannot overstate how dangerous that was to the community," Dunn said. 1,143 grams of cocaine 2,931 grams of synthetic cannabis 1 litre of Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) $60,010 cash Eight people have been charged and more than a quarter million dollars in drugs and cash. Detectives with the Gore Range Narcotics Interdiction Team made the bust Tuesday. First published on April 28, 2020 / 11:48 AM. He confessed to police everything he knew about Nguyen's operation, overturning the largest pot smuggling drug ring in Colorado since legalization. The influx of fake prescription opioids is growing and deadly concern for this office and law enforcement community as a whole. Opioids including fentanyl, heroin and prescription drugs caused two-thirds of all Colorado overdose deaths in 2020. Thats why addressing this crisis is a top priority for our office, Weiser said in a statement. You'd have to be continually hiding that from, you know, even like your local garbage collector. of heroin and 15,000 fentanyl pills. Those in custody are being held on a $500,000 bond or greater. Are other banks to follow? Three people have been charged following a major bust at two residences in West Nipissing in which police seized illegal drugs with a street value of more than $8 million. Updated: Oct 8, 2020 / 07:49 PM MDT . 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. All rights reserved. In Denver alone, there were 350 drug overdose deaths between Jan. 1, 2020, and Nov. 30, said Deanne Reuter, special agent in charge with the DEA, at the news conference. The truth is probably somewhere in between in that it was probably overzealous on the side of the SWAT team, but there was probably some justification in that these guys were involved in a pretty shady underworld. DeAngelo was booked on 23 charges related to drugs, violating bond and unlawful possession of a weapon. In 2021, the monthly average is 64 or two a day. Law enforcement identified the shop as Supreme Auto Body which was not. This organization was preparing for a battle, Olesky said. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. 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? In the past 20 years. Most of the arrests were made last week following a law enforcement operation that began in late 2018. Oct. Right, so in 2015 when this group was busted, or at least a grand jury indictment was handed down,I was working as a staff writer for the second largest newspaper in Denver, which is actually an alternative weekly. Between 2019 and 2020, the number of overdose deaths in Colorado involving fentanyl more than doubled, from 222 to 540. The charges were announced Friday by Colorado Attorney General Phil . 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. 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. 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. All are facing numerous charges for possession and distribution of illegal drugs, including methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and fentanyl. 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. Elise Schmelzer is the public safety reporter at The Denver Post and covers policing, crime and criminal justice. 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. 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. I mean, California is experiencing problems on that front because weed is so heavily taxed there that many people are still choosing to use their street dealer rather than buying it a dispensary. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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All rights reserved. By holding accountable the high-level organizers of this criminal enterprise and halting the spread of dangerous drugs, we can help save lives in Colorado. October 9, 2022 at 11:49 a.m. You can find more resources about fentanyl at www.denvergov.org. DPS says it has plenty of mental health professionals after school board directive to add more, Wyoming won't give wolves to Colorado; CPW doesn't know where it will get them, Isolated storms Tuesday; 70s here to stay. of methamphetamine, 4 lbs. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. EAGLE, Colo. (CBS4) - Detectives pulled off a major drug bust in the Eagle Vail area, arresting Matthew DeAngelo at a home. 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. 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. 35 people were arrested earlier this week after a drug distribution investigation between police departments and officials . First and foremost is we don't want people to die preventable deaths. Then approaching alleged members of this group was a whole other path that I had to go down. Drug bust - definition of drug bust by The Free Dictionary 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. by: Deborah Takahara. 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. It was a collection of all these college friends and their family members that came from Minnesota to Colorado to hide undercover in the legal market. "This investigation is not about the amount of drugs seized or number of people arrested," said Olesky. Yeah, it's tough because I feel like in these situations, the truth always lies somewhere in between, right? Along with the drugs, law enforcement officials seized 28 guns, rifle-rated ballistic vests, 100-round drum magazines, armor-piercing ammunition and three hand grenades from the houses. Eight of the 19 people indicted in the trafficking ring remained at large Wednesday, officials said. They then used a confidential source to place recorded calls with Romo and set up a controlled purchase of $1,600 of methamphetamine. The unforgiving cycle of methamphetamine and opioid addiction is causing catastrophic damage to American families. Then there is state involvement as well. "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. Four others are in Mexico and one is at large in the U.S. There are some states that just don't have a legal market, so by definition, the only place where you can buy cannabis in those states is "the black market.". If you're doing that in a state like Minnesota, you have a couple options. SUGGESTED VIDEOS | Local stories from 9NEWS. You some, some people didn't want to talk about this, some people believe they were subjected to overzealous law enforcement and some people, you know, wanted to just sort of address the errors of their pasts and express remorse for what they had done. SALON is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a trademark of Salon.com, LLC. 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. of cocaine, 5 lbs. Photo by Tony Caldwell / Postmedia . Agents identified Beltran as the leader of the group. This effort is an excellent example of what we accomplish through ongoing collaboration in our state.. Pretty much every other reporter in Denver had moved on from the story. Posted: Feb 19, 2020 / 06:11 PM . This press conference made a splash. 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Under the caregiving program, they could grow up to 500 plants. Right. Tweet. North Bay -. Eagle County Detectives Make Major Drug Bust Involving Coke, Meth And Magic Mushrooms September 3, 2021 / 3:46 PM / CBS Colorado EAGLE, Colo. (CBS4) - Detectives pulled off a major drug. / CBS Colorado. One person also faces federal firearms charges. Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. Police arrested the alleged drug dealers in Colorado, Arizona, and California. N.S. I mean, it thoroughly dismantled this group. First published on February 19, 2020 / 10:59 PM. So there are well-established markets in both states that have legal cannabis and in states that don't. Mills was arrested at the Race Street location. "This criminal enterprise was responsible for poisoning our community and furthering the meth and opioid epidemic, but today our community is safer" said. I cannot overstate how dangerous that was to the community. Fentanyl has been found mixed with or in place of oxycodone tablets, cocaine, and heroin in the Denver area, according to DDPHE. The police investigation into Mills led police to search two homes, one in the 3000 block of North Race Street and another in the 12100 block of Amherst Circle in Aurora. While conducting a series of arrests across Denver and Aurora Feb. 12 . By Shelly Bradbury. Acting DEA Administrator Timothy Shea announced the bust at a press conference Wednesday. "Without a doubt, our law enforcement here today have saved the lives of Coloradans," Weis said. And it was just shocking the size and scale of this black market operation. If you want to plan the perfect spring picnic, food and drink are important, but its certainly not the only factor to consider. Associated Press articles: Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. DENVER Twenty-one people have been charged in Colorado for their alleged involvement in a drug trafficking ring linked to a Mexican cartel, according to law enforcement officials. Polls show that two thirds of Americans favor recreational pot and around 80% favor medical marijuana. Well and you address this in the podcast but what is the reality like for someone who is growing illegally who wants to start growing legally? If youre thinking of altering your workout routine, youre probably looking for new exercises and equipment to help you reach your fitness goals. DENVER (CBS4)- Denver public health officials are warning residents about a recent increase in deadly overdoses, specifically those linked to fentanyl, and a quickly changing drug supply. DENVER - Sixty-four people have been charged in Colorado for their alleged involvement in what officials called an international trafficking and money laundering ring that dealt with fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin and firearms, according to law enforcement officials. (CBC) In a news release, Toronto police describe a. 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. An eight-month investigation into a drug trafficking ring based in metro Denver led law enforcement to seize 110,000 fentanyl pills, 13 pounds of meth, 8 pounds of heroin, 24 pounds of cocaine. It sounds like a movie. The find was part of a coordinated Aurora drug bust announced Feb. 19, 2020. 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 . This is a part of the story that is told very differently depending on who you talk to. Could you talk some about that? This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. This really gets to why many of these group members originated in Minnesota and came to Colorado, which had a legal market. Please enter valid email address to continue. 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? 2020 / 07:49 PM MDT. Drug Enforcement Administration agents seized more than 2,200 pounds of methamphetamine earlier this month . June 17, 2020 at 5:33 p.m. Officials with the Northern Colorado Drug Task Force arrested six people and seized methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, psilocybin mushrooms, pot, counterfeit . Of the 30 defendants indicted, 24 have been arrested and one is in state custody on a separate charge. 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. Authorities say there is no immediate threat to their safety. . After the indictment announcement, authorities said two others were arrested in connection to the drug trafficking ring. In that same time frame, deadly overdoses increased by 22%. The Denver DEAs Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Strike Force led the investigation in partnership with Arvada police. They had paperwork that was official and signed by the state of Colorado. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The DEA began its investigation in April 2021. You can try to do it outside, but that's seriously exposed and easy to see from the air. Four hundred pounds of meth, five pounds of heroin, four pounds of cocaine, and 15,000 fentanyl pills were seized as part of the investigation. Last year, 540 Coloradans died of fentanyl overdoses. DENVER (CBS4) - The Drug Enforcement Administration announced a "major investigation" involving the seizure of 110,000 fentanyl-laced pills in the Denver metro area. I approached the Colorado Department of Law. "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. 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 Environment. The Aurora Police Department assisted in the seizure on Amherst Circle. "The work of this team has potentially thwarted over 40,000 deaths in our community," 18th Judicial District Attorney John Kellner 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. New episodes of "The Syndicate" debut every Tuesday. There's a lot of considerations that need to be carefully weighed to make sure we can slowly chip away at the black market. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. You need some of those more cinematic elements to just kind of coax your audience into some of the more intellectual questions that arise from these types of stories. If there is a huge markup, the vast majority of buyers are still going to turn to the black market because they're just like, "No, I'm not willing to pay twice as much to get weed from a dispensary.". Ontario Provincial Police unveiled details of the investigation and a display of the evidence seized during operation DAYTONA in Ottawa Thursday Jan 30, 2020. So, in Denver, there are over 600 cannabis cultivation facilities. Dunn also noted that most of the seized fentanyl pills were disguised to look like oxycodone. You could try to do it inside, but that requires huge amounts of electricity and then you have to deal with the huge amount of waste that comes with harvesting cannabis. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Police seized fentanyl, meth, firearms, and more than $5,000. Fentanyl is an opioid known for its potency. Most of the drugs came from Mexico and have a street value in the "millions of dollars," according to Dunn. He was in the Denver County jail as of Friday night. In 2015, Joe was caught with $374,000, a gun, and 66 pounds of marijuana. So, let's start from the standpoint of someone trying to start a large, illegal marijuana grow. This spring, Le Creuset has introduced an exciting new shade thats already selling fast: shallot, a soft lavender with pink and slight gray undertones. 2020 / 06:11 PM MST. Agents said Colorado communities are safer now with the seized drugs and weapons off the streets, but the work is far from over. 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. Drug kingpins dont always touch the drugs but they do always touch the money.. Moreover, it would answer this main question in my mind, "If Colorado had a seemingly thriving legal market, why would you take risks to set up this massive black market operation?". At a news conference on Wednesday, the District Attorney's Office for the 18th Judicial District announced the grand jury indictments of 19 people in connection with a drug-distribution ring. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. A Boogie wit da Hoodie's mug shot. Then if you only had the perspective of the drug smuggling group, it would be skewed in another direction. So, the law enforcement side, that's easier to answer. Please enter valid email address to continue. COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (CBS4) - The North Metro Task Force made a large drug bust at an auto body shop in Commerce City. "We really do this for a lot of reasons. Colorado was on board, but they wanted to wrap up all their court cases before revealing more information at the time. Arthur Mills, 59, was arrested on Thursday, according to the Denver Police Department.