FRESNO, Calif. —Renato Aguilera, 30, of Porterville, California, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Wade R. Shannon and U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, between Jan. 1, 2020, and Dec. 3, 2020, Aguilera conspired with...

LOS ANGELES —Today, law enforcement investigators served nine arrest warrants in multiple locations throughout Los Angeles and Riverside Counties. In March of 2020, the DEA launched Operation Crystal Shield to focus efforts on main U.S. methamphetamine trafficking transportation hubs. DEA identified eight major methamphetamine transportation hubs where Operation Crystal Shield...

FRESNO, Calif. — Jose Reyes-Pineda, 48, of Anaheim, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Reyes and co-defendants Genaro Serrato-Calles, 51, and Antonio Valencia-Hernandez, 65, both of Modesto, and Antonio Castellanos, 38, of Whittier, were charged with conspiring...

SAN DIEGO – A federal grand jury today returned an indictment against the Chief Executive Officer and an associate of the Canada-based firm Sky Global on charges that they knowingly and intentionally participated in a criminal enterprise that facilitated the transnational importation and distribution of narcotics through the sale and...

LOS ANGELES – A dual U.S.-Mexican citizen pleaded guilty today to willfully engaging in financial dealings with Mexican companies that had been identified as Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). According to court documents, Jessica Johanna Oseguera Gonzalez, 34...

FRESNO, Calif. — Majed Bashir Akroush, aka Magic Mike, 52, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today to two years and nine months in prison for conspiring to structure over $700,000 in cash withdrawals from four different bank accounts associated with his internet businesses that sold synthetic marijuana, U.S. Attorney McGregor W...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Special Agent in Charge Keith Martin, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Detroit Field Division and Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) Mauricio Jimenez, Columbus Division Office, announced Central Ohio will become the 17th site where the DEA will implement its comprehensive Operation 360 initiative to address prescription misuse...

CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury has charged 36 individuals with crimes related to narcotics and money laundering conspiracies in an indictment that was unsealed today. Those charged include 22 local individuals. Law enforcement agents arrested all 36 defendants late last week and over the weekend. According to the indictment...

CLEVELAND -- Ten people were indicted for their roles in a conspiracy in which the leader allegedly controlled large shipments of fentanyl stamped into pills, heroin, cocaine and other drugs from Mexico to Cleveland while using a cellular phone smuggled into his prison cell. Named in the 17-count indictment filed...

DAYTON, Ohio – A man helping orchestrate a methamphetamine, fentanyl and heroin trafficking conspiracy was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 180 months in prison. A federal indictment unsealed in July 2018 charged Salvador Ramirez, 24, of West Chester, along with six other people with engaging in a drug...