US, Mexico authorities take action against transnational drug trafficking organization
Jul 9, 2023, 7:15 AM
The border wall, seen here in Nogales, does little to stop drug smugglers. In fiscal year 2020, agents seized more than 42,645 pounds of cocaine, 5,222 pounds of heroin, 324,973 pounds of marijuana, 156,901 pounds of methamphetamine and 3,967 pounds of fentanyl. (Photo by Kenny Quayle/Special for Cronkite News)
(Photo by Kenny Quayle/Special for Cronkite News)
PHOENIX — United States and Mexican authorities announced Friday actions against a prolific transnational drug trafficking organization operating in Nogales, Sonora, along the border, the United State Attorney’s Office said in a press release.
On June 23, Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office in cooperation with American authorities, ran an operation that resulted in the arrest of five people and the seizure of 120,000 fentanyl pills, 15 pounds of methamphetamine, 17 pounds of heroin, 15 pounds of cocaine, 3 assault rifles, one 9mm handgun and a vehicle.
Additionally, seven U.S.-based operators were separately arrested including four people from Nogales, Arizona, one from Rio Rico and one from Tucson.
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“Transnational drug trafficking organizations pose an unprecedented public safety threat to both the United States and Mexico,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in the release.
“These coordinated law enforcement actions demonstrate the success our countries can have when we work together to meet that threat.”
They were all indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges in early February.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces operation that attacks the highest-level of criminal activity, according to the release.
