Weekend Wrap: Here are the biggest Phoenix news stories from Jan. 31 – Feb. 2

PHOENIX — From federal agents seizing nearly 200 pounds of illegal drugs to an Arizona couple pleading guilty in a health care fraud case, here are some of the Valley’s top news stories from Jan. 31 – Feb. 2.

Federal agents seize nearly 200 pounds of meth, cocaine at Port of San Luis border

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized nearly 200 pounds of illegal drugs at the Port of San Luis border in two separate incidents, authorities announced on Friday.

The drugs had a combined street value of approximately $805,359, according to the CBP.

In the first incident, more than 117 pounds of methamphetamine were seized around 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

Arizona couple pleads guilty to $1.2 billion in health care fraud involving the terminally ill

An Arizona couple pleaded guilty to inducing $1.2 billion in fraudulent health care claims related to purchasing wound grafts for elderly and terminally ill patients, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Phoenix residents Alexandra Gehrke and Jeffrey King targeted patients via Apex Medical LLC and Viking Medical Consultants LLC during the period of November 2022 to May 2024. More than $960 million of the false claims were submitted to federal health care programs, which included Medicare, TRICARE and CHAMPVA.

Gehrke, who managed the two companies, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and money wire fraud on Oct. 24, 2024. Her sentencing date is set for Feb. 11, where she could earn up to 20 years in prison for her crimes. King followed her admission with his own on Friday, and he will face the same penalty. His sentencing has not been scheduled yet.

DACA recipient, Arizona immigration attorney worried about deportation efforts

With the recent changes in immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, DACA recipient and Arizona immigration attorney Salvador Macias said he shares the concerns of many undocumented people fearing their days in the U.S. are numbered.

Macias was born in Aguascalientes, Mexico, and first came to the Valley at 4 years old. He works as a criminal defense and immigration lawyer at Nunez Law Firm and studied political science and trans-border studies at Arizona State University.

Macias has lived in Phoenix for nearly 30 years but a recent ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit that DACA is unconstitutional makes him worried about his freedom to practice. He pointed out the ruling will be appealed by the U.S. Supreme Court but it is troubling nonetheless.

ASU Republican group calling for deportations on campus receives backlash from fellow students

An ASU Republican group is urging students to report suspected undocumented migrant peers to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The event hosted Friday morning by College Republicans United (CRU) was shared online and quickly led to backlash from Democratic lawmakers and students.

The notice called for mass deportations to begin, indicating a desire to see a massive increase compared to both the Biden and Trump administrations. It also said “There are also many DACA recipients who should be sent back.”

Developer provides progress report on Vineyard Towne Center in Queen Creek

Vestar, a shopping center manager in the western U.S., announced Wednesday it will finish the second phase of the Vineyard Towne Center in Queen Creek by the end of 2025. Additionally, almost every tenant on the property has been leased.

The following businesses have opened up shop during phase two as of January: McDonald’s, Over Easy, Cafe Rio, Academy Bank, Cinnaholic, LifeQuest and Cadence Running Company.

Vineyard Towne Center, a 260,000-square-foot project at the northwest corner of Gantzel and Combs roads, will also be home to Target this fall. The managing company said it will provide more updates on Target’s construction as the opening date gets closer.

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