In a major joint operation, U.S. law enforcement has arrested 16 individuals and seized substantial amounts of drugs, cash, and firearms across five states, striking a serious blow to a drug trafficking network. According to FOX 10 Phoenix, officials with the U.S. Department of Justice described that coordinated search warrants in Phoenix and four other cities led to the confiscation of 400 kilograms of fentanyl, $390,000 in cash, 72 lbs of meth, 13 kilograms of fentanyl pills, 2.4 lbs of heroin and 5 kilograms of cocaine in Phoenix alone. The operation spanned additional cities in New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, and Oregon.
"This historic drug seizure, led by the DEA, is a significant blow against the Sinaloa Cartel that removes poison from our streets and protects American citizens from the scourge of fentanyl," U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement obtained by FOX 10 Phoenix. In Albuquerque, law enforcement seized 49 firearms, including ghost guns, and two vehicles valued at approximately $140,000. Meanwhile, a Dodge TRX Mammoth valued at around $150,000 was seized in Layton, Utah.
Details of the operation were further substantiated by 12 News, which reported that, most of the fentanyl pills seized, over 400 kilograms in total, were found in New Mexico. The DOJ also stated that at least 14 of the arrested individuals face charges of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, with additional charges awaiting some.
Amongst the arrested is a 36-year-old Heriberto Salazar Amaya, identified as the leader of a drug trafficking organization. Each of the five affected locations saw both drug and property seizures as part of the broad law enforcement effort. Such operations continue to underscore the aggressive stance U.S. authorities are taking in the battle against illicit drug distribution, particularly in relation to the potent and often deadly fentanyl.
