Federal and local investigators say they have made one of the largest fentanyl seizures in Kentucky history, seizing more than 70 pounds of the drug — enough for over 300,000 pressed pills — along with 31 firearms in a three-year investigation known as Operation Latex Gloves. Thirteen people have been indicted, and federal authorities have called the seizure the largest of its kind in state history.
A federal grand jury in Louisville returned the indictment on May 20, 2026, charging defendants with conspiring to distribute 400 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture and 100 grams or more of a heroin mixture between January 24, 2023, and May 20, 2026, according to the Department of Justice. As WLKY reported, at least 12 people were named in the indictment, including nine from Louisville. Those charged include Clarence Caldwell, 62; John Finley, 32; Luther Roland, 49; Marcus Andrews, 50; Michael Andres, 52; Shane Andres, 48; Keshawn Hatcher, 34; Cornelius Pendleton, 44; and Ronnall Clark, 44.
Of the 13 people indicted, 10 have been arrested, according to the Department of Justice. Two suspects — 36-year-old Stacey McRae and 21-year-old Fineiss Vaughn, the latter reportedly located in Phoenix, Arizona — remain at large, and one defendant, Donshaun Coleman, is deceased. The circumstances of Coleman's death have not been detailed in official statements.
Court Proceedings Already Underway
Six of the defendants had made their initial court appearances, according to the Department of Justice. Jorge Torres Valdez, 27, who investigators tied to New York and Mexico, was also indicted.
Marcus Andrews was linked by investigators to Detroit, Michigan, while authorities described a route that moved fentanyl from a Mexican cartel through a middleman in New York before it reached Louisville for distribution. The route described by authorities connected New York with Louisville.
Mandatory Minimums and No Parole
Defendants charged in the primary conspiracy face sentences ranging from 10 years to life in federal prison, according to the Department of Justice. Cornelius Pendleton faces a 15-year mandatory minimum due to an additional firearm charge.
The multi-year investigation involved the Louisville Metro Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration, per the Department of Justice. Investigators described a route through New York before fentanyl reached Louisville streets.
A Bust Amid Falling — But Still Deadly — Overdose Numbers
The historic seizure involved fentanyl in Kentucky. According to the Kentucky Justice & Public Safety Cabinet, Kentucky saw 30.2% fewer drug overdose deaths in 2024 than the year before, marking three straight years of declines.
The bust also comes amid ongoing fentanyl enforcement in Louisville. The case highlights fentanyl trafficking in Jefferson County.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 105,000 people died from drug overdose in 2023, including nearly 80,000 deaths involving opioids. The Drug Enforcement Administration reported that six out of ten fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills it analyzed in 2022 contained a potentially lethal dose.
For now, the whereabouts of McRae and Vaughn remain unknown, and questions about Coleman's death have yet to be answered publicly. Court proceedings for the remaining defendants are expected to continue in the coming weeks.
