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. The TBI/TDDTF is an integral member of this task force by operating as the Program Director. Ongoing Drug Investigation in East Tennessee Results in 39 Indictments KNOXVILLE - Thirty-nine people have been indicted following a nearly two-year undercover investigation into a violent drug trafficking organization that has ties to at least three states. Los Angeles, one of nine cities targeted by Operation Crystal Shield, is a hub for drug traffickers because of the proximity to numerous freeways and airports. The TBIs Drug Investigation Division (DID) investigates and assists in the prosecution of crimes involving controlled substances, narcotics, and other illegal drugs. Your email address will not be published. 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. You will face the same charge for possession of a more harmless drug, such as marijuana, as you will face for possession of a very harmful substance, such as heroin or cocaine. Individuals seeking prescription drugs like Hydrocodone have found that heroin is cheaper and more accessible on the street. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,831. Lock Note: Internet Explorer has problems displaying the following charts. 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. It just wouldnt happen. The motto of the Tennessee Dangerous Drugs Task Force continues to be Protect, Enforce, and Educate., The Tennessee Alliance for Drug-Endangered Children(TADEC) is comprised offederal, local, and state agencies who share a goal to prevent drug-related harm to children and rescue, shelter, and support Tennessees children who suffer physical and psychological harm caused by the manufacture, distribution, sale, and abuse ofprescription drugs and alcohol.. We believe there is only one viable solution in fighting the war on contraband cell phones in our facilities and that is through the deployment of shielded-micro jamming technology.. In 2021, the TBI investigated 131 cases. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the unsealing of the federal criminal complaint today. Hidden on the property in various vehicles, including a bus, they found a total of 864 kilograms of meth, according to records. According to Washington County Sheriff Ed Graybeal, an ongoing collaboration between area law enforcement officials has resulted in the conviction in a methamphetamine conspiracy of nearly 57 defendants with the possible subsequent federal sentence of more than 300 . Cruz and Dominguez have a preliminary March 19. A Warner Bros. Example video title will go here for this video. June 24, 2020 Authorities charged 47 people and seized more than $1.7 million worth of methamphetamine following a nine-month drug investigation across the state, officials said Wednesday.. The massive operation was led by 29-year-old Humberto Morales of Tennessee who has been incarcerated at the Tennessee State Prison since 2014. Mike Christen. Demographic conditions of the Appalachia HIDTA, including relatively high unemployment and low median family income, create an environment where illegal activities and corruption can flourish. Fentanyl He's being held in Hamilton County. 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. The court may also require you to take drug education classes or perform community service. They can have a lasting impact on your criminal record. An investigation carried out by federal and local law enforcement has resulted in the indictment of 22 individuals for illegally distributing substantial amounts of controlled substances in Maury and Lewis counties. Tennessee Dangerous Drugs Task Force Tennessee Drug Map This interactive map allows you to search for an address and display drug activities on the map, including meth lab seizures, meth lab quarantine sites, and other incidents. Phone: (931) 380-8837, 1616 Westgate Cir #363 Our hands are tied with a near century old law that could not have foreseen the problem of illegal cell phones inside prisons in 2021.. The drugs were seized at an alleged stash house east of Los Angeles in Perris, California, on October 2. CONTACT:Tabatha Curtis,Statewide Coordinator. CLINTON, Tenn. (WVLT) - Multiple agencies including the Anderson County Sheriff's Office, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Smoky Mountain Fugitive Task Force completed an investigation that ended in the arrests of several drug trafficking suspects. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much The arrests are touted as the result of a multi-agency investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Columbia Police Department, the Hohenwald Police Department, the Spring Hill Police Department, and the Williamson County Sheriffs Department. More than 20 suspects arraigned in federal court following Middle Tennessee drug bust. 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. She lived 30-40 minutes from the house, according to the government. Officers also recovered kilo presses; $45,000 in cash; and a .380 caliber pistol. The technology would essentially jam the signals of cellphones smuggled into prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda J. Klopf prosecuted the case. Memphis Commercial Appeal 0:04 0:45 A traffic stop on Interstate 40 in Shelby County last week led to a large drug bust, the West Tennessee Judicial Violent Crime and Drug Task Force said. The case will be presented to a federal grand jury at a later date to consider an indictment against the defendants. Other agencies involved include the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service in Knoxville, the Drug Enforcement Administration in Atlanta, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Ninth Judicial Drug Task Force in Tennessee. Acting DEA Administrator Timothy Shea announced the bust at a press conference Wednesday. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Criminal enterprises that distribute harmful drugs into West Tennessee can no longer hide. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney announced the unsealing of the federal criminal complaint today. The charges carry sentences of between five years and life in prison. Tri-City Metro Drug Task Force seized cash and more than 15 pounds of methamphetamine and 10 pounds of marijuana in a drug bust this week. Shea said that the capture of the drug kingpin Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, interrupted the Sinaloa Cartels operations, making room for rival Jalisco Cartel to rise and clash. December 23, 2020 3:54 PM. Affidavits cite numerous undercover and controlled drug purchases, as well as seizures of heroin, fentanyl, and large amounts of cash. "Seals emerged from his vehicle with an assault rifle and fired a very large number of shots at the troopers," according to an affidavit from Ted Francisco, a task force officer with Homeland Security Investigations. RELATED: THP dashcam video shows chase, shootout on Highway 27, RELATED: Corryton man shot after chase ends in shoot-out with THP troopers. In the fight against contraband cell phones, we run into a brick wall time and time again, Parker said. On May 4, 2021, Jacob Mosely was sentenced to 210 months in prison and Howard Dowell was sentenced to 135 months in prison. All four charges for possession with intent are classified as felonies. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has announced a major drug bust in Middle Tennessee. The population was 1,423 at the 2020 census. 29 of these counties are in Tennessee. 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. Facing those charges are Columbia residents Charles White Chaz Lowe-Kelley, 30, and Hohenwald residents Michael Mac Black Sowell, 37, Frank Chucky Sparkman, 40, Antonio Premo Sowell, 37, Tanasha Nesha" Vaughn,22, in addition to Nashville residents Darron Snype Lucas Weakley, 35, and Antonio Lil Memphis Laster, 31. WAYNE COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) At least 20 people are charged in connection to a Middle Tennessee methamphetamine distribution ring. The organization allegedly has ties to MS-13, Sur-13 and a host of other street gangs that distributed thousands of illegal narcotics, according to the DOJ. The investigation began in March 2020 and focused on drug trafficking in the Knoxville area in eastern Tennessee. A second indictment charges seven individuals with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances, including heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, crack . And you know some people turn to drugs to deal with that.. Investigators used wiretaps along with other surveillance, confidential sources, traffic stops, search warrants, and gang intelligence to investigate this drug trafficking organization. But police found a pelican case they'd left behind that had about 500 grams of suspected methamphetamine, according to records. (RELATED: I Want To Shove The Drugs Right Up The Noses Of The Gringos: Honduran President Accused By US Prosecutors Of Trafficking Drugs). To access the data used to build this dashboard, please visit the CBP Data Portal. Oftentimes, drug-endangered children are left to fend for themselves and the TADEC is committed to providing these children an opportunity to be protected from an environment they have done nothing to cause and from which they should have some recourse. All rights reserved. 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 In total, the task force officers foundfive pounds of fentanyl, one pound of black tar heroin and approximately 2,500 unidentified pills. The 29 individuals were arrested on a combined total of 221 charges for distribution of drugs such as heroin, methamphetamine, and prescription medications. by Larcom Web Design All defendants previously pleaded guilty. WBBJ 7 Eyewitness . Thats worth repeating. Authorities allege they've interrupted a methamphetamine supply line that stretched from Mexico to Georgia and up into East Tennessee and elsewhere. As a result of the search warrant, agents located and seized 12 ounces of marijuana, three grams of heroin and 2.5 pounds of methamphetamine from the residence. An additional 8 individuals were charged in separate indictments throughout March, according to the DOJ. The Gulf Coast HIDTA encompasses designated counties/parishes across the six states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Each charged defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and convicted through due process of law. The seizure was part of the DEAs ongoing initiative Operation Crystal Shield, which is targeting cities where meth is often trafficked in bulk. The Department of Justice emphasizes that an indictment is merely an accusation. Federal authorities have indicted 27 individuals in a massive, violent drug-trafficking scheme that operated out of a Tennessee state prison for years. In 2020, Allen said the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation saw 17 cases fatal and non-fatal involving nitazenes. But after a local and Nashville, Tennessee 37203, Telephone: 615-736-5151 U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Tennessee, Kilos of Heroin, Fentanyl & Cocaine Distributed in the Nashville Area, Lengthy Prison Sentences For Three Nashville Drug Dealers, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Last Of Gangster Disciples Sentenced In Racketeering & Drug Trafficking Conspiracy, Nashville Trio Facing Federal Human Trafficking & Drug Distribution Charges, Mid-State Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Distribution And Firearms Charges. You can also be fined an additional $10,000 for third and subsequent offenses if you committed the offense near a school or other drug-free zone. Assistant U.S. The primary objective and mission of the GTFME remains to provide public safety for the citizens of Tennesseethrough: Go to Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). 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. Consultation with an experienced drug crime lawyer will get you the best possible outcome for your case. Narcan is an opiate antagonist that acts by blocking the effects of opiate drugs and reversing the event of an overdose. . Authorities find 3,100 pounds of meth and other drugs hidden in truckload of medical supplies, These two seizures are more than enough to provide a dose of meth, for every man, woman, and child in the United States and Mexico. The increase of heroin abuse has created an epidemic rate increase of overdoses and deaths. Jenkins was also charged with attempted possession with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine following a conviction for a serious drug felony. During the press conference, Shea mentioned last weeks second-largest border seizure of meth in which federal agents confiscated more than 3,000 pounds of meth, heroin, fentanyl powder, and pills laced with fentanyl.