Protecting children by combating the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes. (RELATED: I Want To Shove The Drugs Right Up The Noses Of The Gringos: Honduran President Accused By US Prosecutors Of Trafficking Drugs). Established in 1998, the Appalachia HIDTA is comprised of sixty-five, predominately rural counties located within the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Sheriff: Hawkins County deputies injured during drug investigation Tri-Cities officers seize 17 pounds of meth, cash and more | Tri-City 30 pounds of THC-laced Skittles, sour chews seized in Tennessee drug bust, police say By Tanasia Kenney. Authorities seized methamphetamine,. TBI spokesperson Leslie Earhart said the 2022 Enhanced Criminal Enforcement Operation centered around pursuing illicit drugs in seven East Tennessee counties. of methamphetamine (ice), 500 fentanyl pills, and an additional 1.25 lbs. In response to the threat of overdose to law enforcement and lab personnel, the TBI has issued its agents Narcan dispensers for emergency use to assist in the lifesaving efforts of personnel and public. It's still an "ongoing investigation," according to Overbey's release. He added that treatment options for addicts and people struggling have been limited due to restrictions in place because of the coronavirus. Mike Christen. To access the data used to build this dashboard, please visit the CBP Data Portal. Please use another browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge) to view. He'd just bought drugs from a woman at the center of a federal investigation, officials say. During the press conference, Shea pointed to the pandemic for the rise in drug use and overdoses. Convictions for third and subsequent possessions are class E felonies, and they will land you one to six years in prison, a fine of up to $3,000, or both. Required fields are marked *. During the course of the undercover investigation, Jenkins indicated that he and his co-conspirators had used the Overhill apartment as a stash house and that fentanyl valued at $700,000 had been taken by robbers or law enforcement. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) - January 28, 2020 - Nine people have been indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with conspiracies to . The men wereidentified as Jovanni Aguiarviera, 27,and Luis Cruz, 28. Last month, Attorney General William Barr and Shea announced that in six months of the operation, agents seized more than 28,000 pounds of meth, $43.3 million in drug proceeds and 284 firearms. The finalof three federal indictments returned last month were unsealed last week and all but one charged defendant have been taken into custody, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice. Tennessee drug investigation leads to Muncie men's indictments 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. Individuals seeking prescription drugs like Hydrocodone have found that heroin is cheaper and more accessible on the street. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the unsealing of the federal criminal complaint today. Class D Felony: 2 to 12 years. Smith was arrested by the U.S. 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 I commend the outstanding investigative efforts by DEA and our state and local law enforcement partners in this important and impactful case.". ( 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. The operation included more than 40 agents, deputies and officers from the West Tennessee Drug Task Force, Dyer and Lake County Sheriffs Departments, and police from Newbern, Tiptonville and Ridgely. Officers found the people who'd been in the vehicle, and they said they'd just been to northern Georgia to buy methamphetamine through a woman named "Maria," according to records. December 23, 2020 3:54 PM. 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. DEA images of the duffel bags the drugs were found in. . Inside the house, they found equipment with possible residue "that can be used to convert liquid methamphetamine into crystal methamphetamine," an affidavit from Ted Francisco, a task force officer with Homeland Security Investigations, states. 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. Someone whos responsible for this quantity of drugs is someone who is very, very trusted by the cartels, Bodner said. He was a Naval veteran, having served on the USS Chatelain, part of the 10th Atlantic Fleet, during WWII. MONROE COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) One person is facing charges Saturday morning after a drug bust in Monroe County. And you know some people turn to drugs to deal with that.. 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. Bill Bodner, DEA special agent in charge for the Los Angeles field division, said the suspects at the Perris stash house are likely big players with the cartels. Discovery Company. Sixteen people are behind bars after a drug bust in Putnam County. 15 arrested across 7 East Tennessee counties in TBI, DEA drug bust Members of a Major Crack Cocaine Drug Trafficking Organization - FBI In August 2010, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) designated Shelby County to be included in the Gulf Coast HIDTA. If youve been arrested but didnt have enough of the controlled substance in your possession to be charged with manufacturing or distributing the drug, you will be charged with possession. . He utilized a large distribution network that ranged from Western Kentucky to Northwest Mississippi. 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. Painkillers:Pulaski caregiver charged with stealing painkillers from an elderly patient. These seizures are significant not just because of the sheer volume, but because its a sign of a deeply concerning trend meth is pouring into the United States through our southern border and is destroying too many communities and more importantly, too many lives, said Shea. 2. The drugs were found packed inside 25 duffel bags and ready for distribution, according to authorities. While the agency was given a grant to conduct a pilot program, the Communications Act of 1934 prevents the technology from being used, according to Parker. Seventeen arrested on federal drug charges in West Tennessee - WREG.com WAYNE COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) At least 20 people are charged in connection to a Middle Tennessee methamphetamine distribution ring. 24 indicted in local drug-trafficking conspiracy | Local News KNOXVILLE, Tenn. Six people from Mexico are in federal custody in East Tennessee after a bust led to the discovery of more than 900 kilograms of methamphetamine with an estimated value of more than $13 million, authorities say. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Three arrested, about $400,000 in cocaine seized in Nashville drug bust. 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. December 22, 2020 Less than a quarter of a milligram of fentanyl could kill the average person, and the amount seized here is enough for every person in Shelby County to overdose more than nine times over. TBI: 30 arrested on various charges in year-long drug bust called Man caught with THC-laced candy in TN: police - The Kansas City Star This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. A traffic stop on Interstate 40 in Shelby County last week led to a large drug bust,theWest Tennessee Judicial Violent Crime andDrug Task Force said Wednesday. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,831. According to court documents, the DEA and local law enforcement partners launched an investigation into the drug-trafficking organization in June 2019. Individuals were also charged with Misdemeanor Child Abuse and Contributing to the Delinquency of a Juvenile. Seals has since been released from the hospital and and now faces numerous charges in Hamilton County including two charges of attempted murder, according to WRCB-TV. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the unsealing of the federal criminal complaint today. Individuals seeking prescription drugs like Hydrocodone have found that heroin is cheaper and more accessible on the street. The investigation began in March 2020 and focused on drug trafficking in the Knoxville area in eastern Tennessee. 219 3rd Ave N Troopers hit Seals with return fire for which he was hospitalized. The massive operation was led by 29-year-old Humberto Morales of Tennessee who has been incarcerated at the Tennessee State Prison since 2014. 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. Narcan A second indictment charges seven individuals with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances, including heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, crack . Drug Investigation Division Special Agents assigned to the Appalachia High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area focus their efforts on drug trafficking in counties throughout East and Upper East Tennessee. Among those with ties to the alleged meth ring is a Knox County man named Cody Seals, 22, who in January got into a shootout with Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers in Hamilton County while carrying meth he'd just gotten from Magana, according to records and previous reports. Federal officials say late Monday and early Tuesday they served a search warrant on a "stash house" in Conyers, Ga., that Magana had frequently visited. Main Office: Jefferson County ends undercover operation with 31 indictments Two vehicles used for the sale of illegal narcotics and several weapons were also seized. The court may also require you to take drug education classes or perform community service. A 28-year-old woman was arrested Saturday following a drug bust during which police found more than 183 grams of suspected heroin/fentanyl, the Anne Arundel County Police Department said. 29 suspects charged in Moore County drug bust - Sandhills Sentinel A lock ( Feds Bust 27 Individuals In Massive Drug Ring That Chopped Off A Woman So far, they have not filed charges. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - The University of Tennessee's campus police and Knoxville Police Department executed a search warrant for narcotics 1618 Forest Avenue in Knoxville on August 19 around 1 p.m. Savannah Padgett and Sophia Featherstone, both UT college students, lived at the same residence and were also on the search warrants as suspects. Your email address will not be published. The Gulf Coast HIDTA funds four law enforcement initiatives in Shelby County; the Shelby County HIDTA Drug Task Force led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Shelby County MultiAgency Gang Unit led by the Memphis Police Department, Memphis Case Advocacy Program led by the United States Attorney's Office, and Border Enforcement Security Task Force led by United States Homeland Security Investigations. Meth ring bust yields nearly 60 indictments | Local News Established in 1998, the Appalachia HIDTA is comprised of sixty-five, predominately rural counties located within the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia. The operation included more than 40 agents, deputies and officers from the West Tennessee Drug Task Force, Dyer and Lake County Sheriff's Departments, and .