DOJ Multi-State Sting Nets 4 Million Fentanyl Pills Per NM DOJ Federal Filing

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration released information about a huge multistate drug trafficking operation via a court filing in Albuquerque this week. In an action that  is being described as one of the largest fentanyl trafficking organizations in history and coordinated via a DEA takedown of locations in New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and Oregon. The assault on this drug organization, in which agents recovered more than 4 million fentanyl pills, more than $4.4 million in cash, 79 pounds of methamphetamine, along with heroin, cocaine and more than 41 weapons, was reported as a result of federal records filed in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque.

Former DEA Chief of International Operations Mike Vigil described the take-down as “a very, very large operation,” with enough fentanyl seized “to basically kill the entire population of New Mexico twice over.”

A coordinated effort led to the arrest of at least 14 individuals in five states, including alleged ringleader Heriberto Salazar Amaya. Many of the suspects, the documents state, have direct ties to Mexico and are Mexican nationals.

“Obviously [they] have ties to either the Sinaloa Cartel or the Jalisco New Generation Cartel,” Vigil said, referring to the two dominant fentanyl producers and distributors operating out of Mexico.

Vigil emphasized the deadly potency of fentanyl, noting that it is “50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.”

The investigation began last year under the Biden Administration DOJ and involved vehicle tracking, physical surveillance and undercover operations. Authorities said the organization received orders for drugs from customers and dispatched couriers to deliver them to several major cities, including Denver, Phoenix, Las Vegas, NV, Salem, OR, and Layton, Utah. The carriers followed a daily schedule to conduct bulk deliveries across the country, according to the documents.

Each suspect now faces multiple federal drug charges, which carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. Some are also facing weapons-related charges that could lead to an additional 5 to 30 years behind bars. All remain in federal custody this is an evolving story with morw details to be released by the New Mexico office of the DOJ. 

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