Columbia, TN 38401 Undeterred by the loss, or the possibility that law enforcement was aware of the illegal drug activity, during the undercover investigation Jenkins also agreed to purchase 10 kilograms of cocaine for $240,000. "Seals emerged from his vehicle with an assault rifle and fired a very large number of shots at the troopers," according to an affidavit from Ted Francisco, a task force officer with Homeland Security Investigations. The investigation began in March 2020 and focused on drug trafficking in the Knoxville area in eastern Tennessee. Franklin, TN 37064 Agents seized 106.5 lbs. Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Support Center, TBI State Academy Leadership Development Experience, The Tennessee Alliance for Drug-Endangered Children, Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (AHIDTA), Appalachia High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking (GCHIDTA), Governor's Task Force on Marijuana Eradication, Tennessee Department Of Treasury Tort Liability Claims, CALEA Accreditation Public Comment Portal. tennessee narcotic drug bust in which has been filed a felony counts of!. The federal indictment also charges 14 individuals with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana, between March 2018 and September 2019. Morales also instructed hitman Magdiel Pina Ramirez of Mexico to cut off part of his pinky finger to prove his loyalty, the DOJ said. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) - January 28, 2020 - Nine people have been indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with conspiracies to . As a result of the search warrant, agents located and seized 12 ounces of marijuana, three grams of heroin and 2.5 pounds of methamphetamine from the residence. Court appearanceshave yet to beset for the 14suspects who will go before US District Court in Nashville. To access the data used to build this dashboard, please visit the CBP Data Portal. The individuals in question now face charges ranging from possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia to promotion of methamphetamine manufacture and felony evading arrest. JACKSON, Ga. - A big drug investigation that law enforcement dubbed Crystal Web in 12 Georgia . of fentanyl, and 3.5 grams of heroin. 29 of these counties are in . Christopher Mantooth, 38, Sarah . An additional 8 individuals were charged in separate indictments throughout March, according to the DOJ. "Operation Thundering Justice," led by special agents with the Drug Investigation Division of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Carroll County Sheriff's Office, the Huntingdon Police Department, the McKenzie Police Department, and the Henderson County Sheriff's Office, began in January 2020. While we continue to make progress reducing prescription drug issues, illicit opioid drug use continues to spawn the proliferation of heroin/fentanyl. This operation should be a message to the bad guys that if theyre thinking they can come out to the rural areas of West Tennessee to sell their drugs, commit violent crimes or hide out, it wont be tolerated, Carter said. A Warner Bros. The night of Jan. 9, Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers tried to pull Seals over in Hamilton County on Highway 27. The concern there is that they are very violent and theyre very aggressive and they are largely responsible for much of the meth in this country, said Shea. The population was 1,423 at the 2020 census. First and second convictions for drug possession are a class A misdemeanor and the penalties include a jail term of up to one year, a fine of up to $2,500, or both. Assistant U.S. Individuals were also charged with Misdemeanor Child Abuse and Contributing to the Delinquency of a Juvenile. The organization allegedly has ties to MS-13, Sur-13 and a host of other street gangs that distributed thousands of illegal narcotics, according to the DOJ. The seizure was part of the DEAs ongoing initiative Operation Crystal Shield, which is targeting cities where meth is often trafficked in bulk. - [Google Review], What to Do if You are Pulled Over for DUI, Finding the Right Criminal Defense Lawyer, Drug Bust in West Tennessee Yields Drug Crime Charges Against Nine. Our hands are tied with a near century old law that could not have foreseen the problem of illegal cell phones inside prisons in 2021.. According to court documents, the DEA and local law enforcement partners launched an investigation into the drug-trafficking organization in June 2019. McAllen, Texas residents Julio Beto, 45, Freddy Quinones, 48 and Jesus Barbas Silva, 40,also face the changes in addition to Pulaski residents Tory Hardison, 27, and Carson Lunn, 24. Individuals seeking prescription drugs like Hydrocodone have found that heroin is cheaper and more accessible on the street. The organization allegedly has ties to MS-13, Sur-13 and a host of other street gangs that distributed thousands of illegal narcotics, according to the DOJ. The court may also require you to take drug education classes or perform community service. WBBJ 7 Eyewitness . The TDDTF educates the public about the dangers of all scheduled drugs and works to support law enforcement and other stakeholders by supplying equipment, training, intelligence, and investigative tools to assist in strategically identifying, targeting, and prosecuting drug offenders. Wayne County Sheriff Shane Fisher said a routine drug. A second indictment charges seven individuals with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances, including heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, crack . As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,831. Published The amount seized is equal to a ton of meth. Established in 1998, the Appalachia HIDTA is comprised of sixty-five, predominately rural counties located within the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the unsealing of the federal criminal complaint today. amy . On June 18, 2020, when Jenkins showed up to conduct the transaction, he was arrested by undercover officers. Ongoing Drug Investigation in East Tennessee Results in 39 Indictments KNOXVILLE - Thirty-nine people have been indicted following a nearly two-year undercover investigation into a violent drug trafficking organization that has ties to at least three states. Class E Felony: 1 to 6 years. Counterfeit Pills Dec 31, 2014 Updated Oct 19, 2022. You will face the same charge for possession of a more harmless drug, such as marijuana, as you will face for possession of a very harmful substance, such as heroin or cocaine. Magana is a central figure in the alleged operation, records indicate. Affidavits cite numerous undercover and controlled drug purchases, as well as seizures of heroin, fentanyl, and large amounts of cash. Narcan Memphis Commercial Appeal 0:04 0:45 A traffic stop on Interstate 40 in Shelby County last week led to a large drug bust, the West Tennessee Judicial Violent Crime and Drug Task Force said. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has announced a major drug bust in Middle Tennessee. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. Officers also recovered kilo presses; $45,000 in cash; and a .380 caliber pistol. You know its a tough time for everybody, he said. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Both men remain in theShelby County Jail on $1 million bonds each. The DEAs focus is to interrupt the drug transportation chain in the cities that account for 75% distribution of all meth distributed in the country, Shea said. Please considersupportinghis work and that of other Daily Herald journalists by subscribing to the publication. The TBIs Drug Investigation Division (DID) investigates and assists in the prosecution of crimes involving controlled substances, narcotics, and other illegal drugs. The drugs were found packed inside 25 duffel bags and ready for distribution, according to authorities. Los Angeles, one of nine cities targeted by Operation Crystal Shield, is a hub for drug traffickers because of the proximity to numerous freeways and airports. So far, they have not filed charges. The Department of Justice emphasizes that an indictment is merely an accusation. Please use another browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge) to view. While we continue to make progress reducing prescription drug issues, illicit opioid drug use continues to spawn the proliferation of heroin/fentanyl. DEA images of the duffel bags the drugs were found in. Cruz and Dominguez have a preliminary March 19. In that case, the driver, a 47-year-old Mexican citizen, was arrested and turned over to a joint federal agency investigative team, according to a US Customs and Border Protection statement. . "Once opened, the compartment was found to contain the suspected fentanyl and black tar heroin, as well as thousands of 30-milligram tablets believed to be Oxycodone.". Other agencies involved include the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service in Knoxville, the Drug Enforcement Administration in Atlanta, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Ninth Judicial Drug Task Force in Tennessee. RELATED: THP dashcam video shows chase, shootout on Highway 27, RELATED: Corryton man shot after chase ends in shoot-out with THP troopers. ( Drew Angerer/Getty Images), This is just another example of illegal cell phones being used by convicted felons to communicate and conspire with criminals in the free-world to proliferate criminal activity, Tennessee Department of Corrections Commissioner Tony Parker said in a statement. Class C Felony: 3 to 15 years. Sixteen people are behind bars after a drug bust in Putnam County. Jenkins was initially arrested by law enforcement in June 2020, after a months-long investigation which resulted in the search of an apartment in the Overhill Apartment Complex in Nashville in February 2020, where the defendants were seen entering and exiting numerous times. 21 year old Kevin Bucio-Arredondo of Tustin, and 20 year old Leslie Heredia of Los Angeles, were arrested in Murfreesboro and charged with one count of possession of Schedule II drugs for resale and one count of money laundering. A federal indictment unsealed Friday charged 27 individuals with a series of crimes including conspiracy to distribute heroin, methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). 29 of these counties are in Tennessee. NEW YORK, NY FEBRUARY 04: A sign is posted outside the Metropolitan Detention Center on February 4, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. TBI reports said a multi-agency investigation into drug overdoses in Middle Tennessee, resulted in the arrest of two individuals from California with ties to the Sinola Cartel. From mid-February until this week, "law enforcement intercepted numerous conversations over wiretaps in which (Magana) coordinated the distribution of kilogram quantities of methamphetamine and other drugs," the Francisco affidavit states. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); West Tennessee Drug Task Force; Jackson Police Department; Jackson-Madison County Metro Narcotics Unit; Madison County Sheriffs Department; Paris, Tennessee Police Department; Henry County Sheriffs Department; Murray, Kentucky Police Department; Kentucky State Police; Arkansas State Police; Tennessee Department of Correction Office of Investigations & Compliance (TDOC-OIC); and the U.S. The Governors Task Force on Marijuana Eradication (GTFME) was created by Executive Order No. They were discovered hidden in a truck delivering medical supplies from Mexico. U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Tennessee, Kilos of Heroin, Fentanyl & Cocaine Distributed in the Nashville Area, Lengthy Prison Sentences For Three Nashville Drug Dealers, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Last Of Gangster Disciples Sentenced In Racketeering & Drug Trafficking Conspiracy, Nashville Trio Facing Federal Human Trafficking & Drug Distribution Charges, Mid-State Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Distribution And Firearms Charges. in Local News. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. An investigation involving an alleged drug overdose at the Super 8 motel on East Andrew Johnson Highway Monday morning resulted in the arrest of four women, including three on heroin Mike Christen. We believe there is only one viable solution in fighting the war on contraband cell phones in our facilities and that is through the deployment of shielded-micro jamming technology.. Morales used contraband cellphones that were smuggled into the prison to orchestrate the drug distribution network, which flowed between Tennessee and Mexico, according to the DOJ. The drugs in that bust were seized at the Otay Mesa port of entry to San Diego. Troopers hit Seals with return fire for which he was hospitalized. The drugs were seized at an alleged stash house east of Los Angeles in Perris, California, on October 2. This was a seriously deadly load, he said. NASHVILLE Eric Jenkins, 40, of Nashville, Tennessee, the final defendant in a large drug distribution conspiracy was sentenced Tuesday to 210 months in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee.