Federal officials said they arrested 36 people across the Tennessee Valley last week in a massive meth trafficking bust.
Authorities said the arrests were made as part of an investigation into a meth trafficking operation where the Mexican cartel CJNG – an offshoot of the Sinaloa cartel – was funneling methamphetamine into the area.
During the course of the investigation, over 74 pounds of “ice” methamphetamine, a kilo of cocaine hydrochloride and 46 grams of “crack” cocaine was seized. Twenty guns were seized, including two assault rifles and a short barrel shotgun. Some of the guns seized were identified as stolen. Over $123,000 was seized by federal agencies. This amount does not include amounts of money seized and forfeited by state and local agencies.
“There is no daylight between local, state and federal law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town. “These indictments represent the hard work of many of our law enforcement partners, and exemplify our global efforts of taking on the most dangerous criminals menacing our neighborhoods. Our relationships across the board have never been stronger.”
“We will chase them to the end of the earth to make sure they are brought to justice,” said DEA agent, Clay Morris. “I think the public needs to understand these criminals don’t care about you, they don’t care about your children. They care about the 20 dollar bill someone is going to give them to buy some drugs that will destroy lives,” said Agent Morris.
“The Postal Service has no interest in being the unwitting accomplice to anyone using the U.S. Mail to distribute illegal drugs or other harmful substances,” said U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge, Houston Division, Adrian Gonzalez. “Postal Inspectors will continue to work with our local and federal law enforcement partners to investigate and hold accountable those who misuse the U.S. Mail. Through our joint efforts, we have dismantled a criminal organization that posed a direct threat to various communities in multiple states.”
Wayne County Sheriff Shane Fisher, who was an integral part of the combined law enforcement effort in the arrests, said, “I would like to thank all the agencies involved in this operation. Joining together is another step in making Wayne County as safe as possible. I will utilize every tool necessary to complete that goal. Drug trafficking organizations do not care about state lines or jurisdictional boundaries. That is why it is so important to work with our adjoining law enforcement partners. These partners have the same tasks of disrupting the criminal organizations who poison our communities. I am committed to getting drugs and drug dealers out of our schools and off of our streets, and am actively looking for ways to accomplish the task.”
