MIAMI – A South Florida fentanyl dealer whose product killed a man was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison today. On May 19, 2021, 21-year-old Peterson Nozinord drove another man, age 27, to a motel in Lantana, Florida. Nozinord checked the man into a room by using Nozinord’s identification...

TAMPA, Fla. – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced the return of an indictment charging Luis Mojica Rojas, 45, of Zephyrhills, Florida, with conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl; conspiracy to commit international money laundering; possession of 400 grams or more of fentanyl with the intent...

EL PASO – Last week, the New Mexico High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program (NM HIDTA) received a national recognition for its work in southeastern New Mexico under Operation Shape Shifter. White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director Dr. Rahul Gupta made the announcement. The NM HIDTA...

EL PASO – Jennipher Talamantes, a counselor at an El Paso school district, and Jennifer and David Burke, the Executive Directors of Serenity Mesa Recovery Center in Albuquerque, were the only El Pasoan and New Mexicans invited to meet with Administrator Anne Milgram as part of the first-ever DEA Family...

EL PASO – In the past few days, the Drug Enforcement Administration El Paso Division has learned of several instances of individuals who used illicit drugs and then experienced overdose symptoms. It is suspected that the illicit drugs may be mixed with a synthetic opioid. DEA El Paso Division has...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Jermaine Ryan Alvarez, 38, of Carlsbad, New Mexico, was sentenced in federal court today to nine years in prison for one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin and one count of...

El Paso – In an effort to save lives, DEA is proud to join “Song for Charlie” and other valued public health, non-profit, and law enforcement partners in recognizing the first ever National Fentanyl Awareness Day. This day is an effort to educate individuals around the dangerous threat that fentanyl...

EL PASO, Texas – Dr. Herbert Nassour, a former physician in El Paso, has agreed to pay $350,000 under a civil settlement to resolve allegations he violated certain provisions of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Dr. Nassour was a physician registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to prescribe and...

ORLANDO, Fla. – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced the unsealing of an indictment charging Patrick Silfrain (40, Winter Garden), aka “Prada,” “Haitian Pat,” Kevin Jean-Gilles (39, Orlando), aka “G,” “Cole,” “Darren Tai,” “Vincent DiPietro,” and Jean Kesnor Choisil (50, Ocoee) with conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, or dispense, or...

MIAMI – The Drug Enforcement Administration will host its 22nd National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This bi-annual event offers free, anonymous disposal of unneeded medications at more than 4,000 local drop-off locations nationwide. “Disposing of unneeded medications can help...