Aurora, IL crime, fire and public safety news and events, police & fire department updates All Rights Reserved. for top stories from 9NEWS curated daily just for you. Investigators said it is believed the drug trafficking ring in Colorado has ties to the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico. / CBS Colorado. Denver leaders including Mayor Michael Hancock and Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen spoke with journalists on Sunday afternoon after what police describe as a "suspicious occurrence" near Coors Field. In the latest drug bust, authorities seized 200,000 fentanyl pills in an operation which was operating out of a business calledHondu Multiservicios, LLC at 6671 Federal Boulevard, according to the grand jury indictment obtained by The Gazette. BOND: $2000. Drug dealers are now resorting to innovative methods to flood the market with fentanyl-related substances so they can have maximum appeal to unsuspecting users, Besser said. Authorities have also seized $16 million in drug money. #4 Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia. The other people indicted on lesser charges could face prison sentences of at least 10 years. The record haul from last months bust was packed into 48 one-kilo blocks. The group brought drugs into Colorado from Mexico and the West Coast, authorities said. Several other agencies, including the Aurora Police Department and the criminal investigation branch of the IRS, helped the FBI and prosecutors investigate the local cell of the cartel. Today our community is safer, Phillips said. Seven years after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released guidelines aimed at stopping the over-prescription of opioid painkillers, patients who need those medications to ease chronic pain have been left suffering, some to the point of suicide. Fentanyl pills collected in the April and February seizures had the potential to kill as many as 100,000 people in Colorado, Besser said. Date: 3/3 12:44 am #1 failed to present . #9news @9WantsToKnow pic.twitter.com/rW4LkXCrHr. Kellner acknowledged that stopping this operation will only put a temporary pause on business. In the latest bust, authorities seized 170,000 fentanyl pills outside of an Aurora apartment. ", RELATED: Denver Health Officials Warn About Increase In Deadly Overdoses Linked To Fentanyl. Douglas. In Denver, the Denver Department of Health reported "the percentage change in drug-related deaths for the six months of . In the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield MSA, an annual average of 416,000 persons aged 12 or older used any . The Aurora residence was on the 12100 block of Amherst Circle. Four Loveland men have been arrested and one more is wanted after a Northern Colorado drug investigation that seized thousands of fentanyl pills, more than 12 pounds of meth and more. She could be sentenced to 20 years to life in prison if convicted. So its often times mixed with other substances often times inert substances, and then pressed into pill form to look like prescription Oxycodone or other drugs and then sold.. They then distributed the substances across the state. Every single bust, and I hate to use that term, is making a substantive community impact on the life-saving front, Besser said. Press Release. The Alleged victims recount how they said David Zoda deceived them, collected thousands of dollars in moving charges, then allegedly dumped their belongings in storage lockers in Aurora. They give brief insights into our people and places, our flora and fauna, and our past and present, from every corner of Colorado. Denver Police Chief Paul M. Pazen said in a statement that his department "continue to arrest those who prey on those who suffer from addiction. Law enforcement seized over 110,000 counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl, 6. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Published: Jun. A routine traffic stop in Eagle County led to the discovery of 13.5 pounds of what is believed to be heroin hidden in a child's car seat. This is part of a seizure of 200,000 fentanyl pills in Aurora, Around 200,000 fentanyl pills were recently seized in a drug task force drug sting. ROKU: add the channel from theROKU storeor by searching for KUSA. Because of Thursday's law enforcement. Police executed a search warrant at Ramirez's house located in the 20500 block of East Buchanan Drive on Dec. 29, APD said. They expect to lose product, but what they want the most is to get them money down south,Besser said. While conducting a series of arrests across Denver and Aurora Feb. 12, officials also seized large amounts of cash, cars and at least 10 guns, many of which were assault rifles, Phillips said. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. A 24-year-old is under arrest and being held on a drug charge after an extensive police operation in which some officers donned hazmat suits before entering a southeast Denver apartment. The leader of the group, Candelaria Vallejo-Gallo, was arrested last week in her Aurora home, according to Dean Phillips, acting special agent in charge at the Denver division of the FBI. 9Wants to Know saw members of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Aurora Police Department at two locations in Aurora, one was a home, the other a business, in the Mississippi and I-225 area. 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Meaning heavier snow in southern Colorado and across the south-eastern plains. Deputies conducting a routine traffic stop in Adams County took one person into custody after finding methamphetamine, fentanyl, and stacks of cash in the car. By Tony Keith. According to the 1999 and 2000 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), 8.9 percent of individuals age 12 and over surveyed in Colorado reported having abused an illicit drug in the month prior to the survey compared with 6.3 percent nationwide. Unsuspecting users taking drugs they dont know are laced with fentanyl have created a deadly phenomenon and burgeoning public health crisis in Colorado. When we take into consideration the worst possible outcomes of this poison being pushed out in mass in our communities, Ive never seen anything like this, ever. Colorado law enforcement officials said Wednesday that millions of lives may have been saved after several months of undercover investigation into those suspected of distributing illegal fentanyl pills. The 45-count indictment exposes the inner workings of a Mexican drug gang that was based at a market in Aurora and distributed drugs - mostly cocaine and methamphetamine - throughout the region. The alleged network was based in Colorado and distributed drugs to several counties and cities in the region, including Denver, Aurora, Commerce City, Lakewood, and Thornton. SAFFORD Safford Police arrested a man who reportedly admitted to having an estimated 40 grams of methamphetamine for "personal use.". In 2021, she decided to return to local news. "The Boss" performed in Colorado as part of his Springsteen E Street Band 2023 Tour and also surprised a Denver store owner a few hours before the show. There's a rise in anxiety, depression and even suicidal thoughts.

, Players given Kratom by Colorado coach, police say, Skier Shiffrin's quest for 86th win extended after downhill, 77 inches of snow fall at Colorado ski area in 9 days. It's a favorite destination for foodies, putting the spotlight on the city's food scene through hundreds of local restaurants. Federal and local law enforcement busted suspected members of a Mexican organization accused of distributing cocaine and meth in Colorado and other state, sources tell 9Wants to Know. Police found more than $18,000 in cash and more than 300 pills during a traffic stop in west suburban Aurora Tuesday night. Dezmen Albritton. Angelina Maestas posted court documents on Facebook that openly accused another member of the trafficking operation with cooperating with police. Besser said the I-70 and I-25 corridors are where the deadly drugs head East while money heads South. A top commander with the Adams County Sheriff's Office will be suspended after pointing a rifle at co-workers in January. Even fruit-flavored incarnations of the pill are being found, some being etched with the BMW or Mercedes logos, they said. Fatal doses involving the drug have skyrocketed since 2015, and last year, more than 800 Coloradans died after , It sounded just like a plot out of Breaking Bad. Gov. Arthur Mills was arrested on Thursday on the 3000 block of North Race Street. The four weapons seized included an AR-15-style rifle and a 9 mm handgun, authorities said. Vallejo-Gallo, who is in her early 40s, faces more than 50 counts, including the rarely levied charge of continuing a criminal enterprise or a drug kingpin charge, according to local U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. iTunes:http://on9news.tv/itunes Google Play:http://on9news.tv/1lWnC5n, HOW TO ADD THE FREE 9NEWS+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE. Since 2015, Besser said the drug landscape has shifted considerably, moving from organic heroin to synthetic pills, which are both more discreet and more lucrative for cartels. The DEA says his busts have kept 20 tons of illicit drugs off the streets . Mills was arrested at the Race Street location. Former Washington Capital forward Lars Eller is now a member of the Colorado Avalanche! Because of its central location, Colorado is now a critical trans-shipment hub in the West for drug smugglers, officials warned, and the price has become right. "I hope to return to the Senate later this month," the retiring senator said in a statement. Hill was charged with Possession with Intent to Sell and Deliver Heroin. 2023 FOX Television Stations, until MON 12:00 PM CST, Lake County, Lake County, until MON 6:00 AM CST, Lake County, Kenosha County, is in effect, LaSalle County, Newton County, from SUN 6:00 PM CST until TUE 12:00 AM CST, Lake County, Newton County, Man charged in shooting death of Officer Andres Vasquez Lasso ordered held without bond, Services announced for Chicago Police Officer Andres Mauricio Vasquez Lasso who was killed in the line of duty, Replay Lincoln Park transforms into iconic 'Paddy's Pub', Lightfoot loses re-election bid, this is the date she will leave office, Man shot, seriously wounded while sitting in parked car on Southwest Side, Des Plaines man charged with attempted murder in motel stabbing, Jesse Wilson: Adoptive mother arrested in boy's death in Arizona, Cook County man charged with murdering woman he dated for 3 years, Chicago man charged in fatal South Shore shooting. A 40-year Colorado news veteran, Carol McKinley started in radio, and traveled the world as a network TV correspondent/producer. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Investigators say the group was dealing over two pounds (one kilogram) of heroin every week in Denver. Special Agent Garrett Croon (312) 829-1199. AURORA, Ill. (WLS) -- Three men from Mexico and a Bolingbrook man face drug charges after Kane County Sheriff's detectives said they found nearly 160 pounds of cannabis in a Jeep in west. Aurora Police said the investigation began in September after their narcotics. Police shared the following details about the large amount of drugs that were captured: - 179 pounds methamphetamines - 43 pounds. More than 900 people died of fentanyl overdoses in Colorado last year, according to the state health department. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Denver police and firefighters responded to an apartment at 8330 Quincy Avenue for a suspected drug operation. Major drug bust on 6/1/21 in Rio Grande County, CO. (Center PD) CENTER, Colo. (KKTV) - Authorities uncovered what were believed to be "operating drug distribution centers" in a small Colorado . Approximately 15,000 candy-colored pills were seized in Manhattan, according to the DEA. One Colorado school district is making mental health a priority. At least two of those charged were in the United States illegally, according to a 52-count indictment filed in Colorado District Court. 10.21.2010 victim - janine ann johler - aurora, colorado 11.15.2011 UNSOLVED/COLD CASE HOMICIDE - NEBRASKA 06.08.2017 VICTIM - SANTANA ACOSTA - PHOENIX, ARIZONA But it is also very cheap to produce either in China or Mexico. Youth are especially vulnerable, Besser said, as they are targeted on social media to purchase these drugs creating an unparalleled accessibility.. Compare Drug Bust Counseling Center in Aurora, CO. Access business information, offers, and more - THE REAL YELLOW PAGES 29 pounds of methamphetamine, $57,000 in cash, and a Taurus 9mm semi . Its hard to keep the calculations updated in real time as the pills come in, he added. Authorities seized 400 pounds of methamphetamine, 15,000 fentanyl pills, 5 pounds of heroin and 4 pounds of cocaine during the sweeping arrests last week, Dunn said. The Lookout is a free, daily email newsletter with news and happenings from all over Colorado. In the last 20 years in Colorado, nearly 5,000 Coloradans died from a prescription opioid overdose. If convicted Vallejo-Gallo could face 20 years to life in federal prison. Our newsletters bring you a closer look at the stories that affect you and the music that inspires you. Residential rent analysis company, Rentometer, found other double-digit spikes around Colorado from 2021 to 2022 rent increased 15% in Aurora, 13% in Boulder, and shot up 18% in Fort Collins. Phillips called the operation a sophisticated group with numerous international and interstate ties and said it has been operating in the Denver region for several years, trafficking high volumes of drugs on a weekly basis. Aurora only hired 17 new police officers last year. A Mexican national who was residing in Aurora illegally, Vallejo-Gallo and her group used overland traffickers and UPS shipments to get drugs to the metroplex, according to Dunn. Authorities arrested that woman and 23 other members of two Mexican drug trafficking operations that were based in Denver and Aurora during an operation last week, Dunn said. They also confiscated 9.4 pounds of heroin, a 2.2 pounds of cocaine, four guns including an AR-15. Plastic bags stuffed with drugs that was inside a child's backpack. served four search warrants in Fresno. PHOTO BY QUINCY SNOWDON/Sentinel Colorado. Ramirez posted bond on Dec. 30. Gov. Another option for Fire TV is to have the appdelivered directly to your Fire TVthrough Amazon. The availability and accessibility of fake pills (laced with fentanyl) right now is absolutely staggering. As the spring homebuying season approaches, affordability is at its lowest point in history, one economist said. It will be a mild and dry start to the weekend. The Colorado Avalanche have seen a lot of success as of late, and they are now clearly in the NHL's upper echelon. Carly McKinney's Twitter page contained half-naked photos and all kinds of chatter about marijuana, including a boast of . WASHINGTONFollowing a two-year criminal drug investigation, . 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. An investigation that began with a probe into a cocaine ring has led to 19 arrests in operations that involved moving black market drugs in and out of Colorado, according to a news release from. She joined the paper in 2019 and previously worked as a crime reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in Pennsylvania and the Chattanooga Times Free Press in Tennessee. The Justice Department is assisting Ukraine in an investigation into war crimes committed by Russia. APD makes several arrests in Social Media Drug Operation. An Aurora woman led an extensive international drug trafficking organization that distributed high volumes of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and fentanyl throughout Colorado, U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn said at a news conference Wednesday. Fountain Police arrested a convicted felon for drugs in his car the same day he was sentenced for another crime. The Aurora residence was on the 12100 block of Amherst Circle. One of four suspects arrested at a hotel near Coors Field says there was no plot to shoot MLB All-Star Game fans, even though one of his friends harbored a large cache of weapons in his room. Treatment data indicate that cocaine, particularly crack, commonly is abused in Denver. In 2021, illegal fentanyl killed 709 people in Colorado, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This was an organization that was working here bringing it in from the west coast.. The drugs can go for as little as $1 and are disguised in flavors like strawberry and raspberry. An 18thJudicial District grand jury indicted eight people, some of whom were related, on charges of smuggling and distributing meth, heroin and fentanyl pills, all of which originated in Mexico. The Adams County Sheriff's Office says they were part of a large task force which took down a massive drug bust. It takes a good days drive to cover Colorado, but well help you do it in a few minutes. Perry Bertsch. Ever., Seizure of 200,000 fentanyl pills declared one, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Get to know all 17 Denver mayor candidates , Seizure of 200,000 fentanyl pills declared one of largest ever in Colorado, Woman attempted 4 carjackings in 9 minutes, Denver police say. The Colorado legislature may finally let it. The Drug Enforcement Agency and the 18th Judicial District Attorneys Office announced the bust Wednesday in Centennial, saying eight people have been indicted on allegations they were smugglers and distributors in a drug trafficking organization that focused on methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl, the deadly synthetic opioid. The Aurora woman, Candelaria Vallejo-Gallo, who is either 41 or 42, was charged with running the primary operation. Several of the suspects appeared in federal custody hearings Feb. 19. The Colorado State Patrol discovered the 114-pound mega-haul hidden underneath a trap door beneath the front seats of a vehicle during a traffic stop. The police investigation into Mills led police to search two homes, one in the 3000 block of North Race Street and another in the 12100 block of Amherst Circle in Aurora. The Aurora Police Department assisted in the seizure on Amherst Circle. State and federal authorities confiscated 200,000 fentanyl pills, 9.4 pounds of heroin, a kilogram of cocaine and multiple firearms in an operation they say culminated in one of the largest seizures of fentanyl pills in Colorado history. In Pittsburgh, she helped the newspaper earn the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news after a mass shooting at a local synagogue, and in 2020 she was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in local reporting for an investigation into child sexual abuse among Amish and Mennonite communities. Court records indicate Tapio-Rubio operated a multi-kilogram cocaine and methamphetamine distribution network with drugs supplied from Mexico. At the news conference, officials also highlighted the Colorado State Patrols recovery last month of 114 pounds of pure fentanyl on Interstate 70 near Georgetown from a vehicle headed toward Denver. The latest reports from Denver Water show our snowpacks rounding towards their state averages already, and there are still two months of snow to go. The find was part of a coordinated Aurora drug bust announced Feb. 19, 2020. Find 727 listings related to Odom Memorial Community Drug Bust in Aurora on YP.com. Ive got a news flash for you. Police in Arvada got quite a surprise while conducting a search warrant for narcotics distribution. Five people were discovered dead inside a Colorado apartment where a 4-month-old baby was also found alive after what police are investigating as a drug-fueled party involving fentanyl . A deputy's knack for sussing out mules has made a lonely stretch of I-70 the top drug-bust site in Colorado Mesa County deputy Mike Miller has patrolled a stretch of desert west of Grand Junction for decades. Four. Both Besser and District Attorney John Kellner stressed the fact that fentanyl pills are not only blue in color, but pink and white. Win tickets to Cheyenne Frontier Days, The Daddy of 'Em All before tickets go on sale! Example video title will go here for this video. This is a portion of the money they seized. So its often mixed with other substances, oftentimes inert substances, and then pressed into pill form to look like prescription oxycodone.. Sources: months -long investigation cocaine/ Meth distribution from Mex. 200,000 fentanyl pills seized in what Colorado law enforcement considers life-saving busts, Indie 102.3s March Local 303 Meetup feat: Deva Yoder, News That Matters, Delivered To Your Inbox, Fentanyl is everywhere, and showing up in other illicit drugs. It has arrested 65 high-level defendants and confiscated 500,000 fake fentanyl pills, 360 pounds of meth, 104 pounds of cocaine and taken nearly 200 guns off the street that were tied to drug operations. So it was essentially meant to throw off anyone who might have seen that, Dunn said. The indictment claims that a person named Julian Green was the "leader and supervisor" of the operation. Officials have arrested 24 of the people mentioned in the indictment on a slew of charges, including racketeering, money laundering and conspiracy to distribute various drugs. Well over 300 special agents and officers arrested 28 defendants for drug trafficking and related crimes during early morning raids. Deputies found 274 marijuana plants and 60 pounds of packaged pot in an illegal grow operation. The trafficking ring funneled their profits back to Mexico, sometimes by smuggling undeclared bulk cash shipments, according to the indictment, which said members bought property in Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico, to try to keep the money from being seized by U.S. authorities. Tipsters can remain anonymous. Jared Polis has endorsed the proposal to change the name of Mount Evans in a letter to the U.S. Board of Geographic Names. It starts with a small case that can be built into something meaningful, Kellner said. The masked pills caused elevated concern among federal authorities, Dunn said. Douglas County Sheriff Capt. 8, 2021 at 9:32 PM PDT. Yates is Pierce's sister. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Greed is a traffickers main motivation. The fentanyl flooding Colorado this summer is cheaper, now comes in pink and white, and is sometimes laced with the taste of monk fruit. Fentanyl is being mixed with heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and illegally produced marijuana. Those documents were protected by court order. Example video title will go here for this video. If it saves one life, for me, it was worth the whole process.. Kellner spoke about border security, attributing some of the problems to the ease of accessibility to the United States from the southern border. The Denver house is located on Race Street where Mills was arrested. Investigators say 12 people, most of whom were already in jail on unrelated charges prior to the drug ring investigation, were able to sneak narcotics into the jail with mail. Five goals wasn't enough for the Avs to overcome a hot Devils offense. For both Apple TV and Fire TV, search for "9NEWS" to find the free app to add to your account. President Biden had basal cell carcinoma removed from his chest, the White House shared. Law enforcement hasnt yet arrested the original dealer, believed to be in Mexico, who coordinated with the group. He will miss this weekend's NASCAR race at Las Vegas. Besser said he worries that fentanyl could soon be laced into vape products, which are already incredibly popular with many younger users. Two people got caught with an illegal psilocybin mushroom grow and other drugs in a Lyons home. Dean Narciso The Columbus Dispatch 0:00 1:38 The Franklin County Prosecutor's Office announced late Friday afternoon the indictments of 79 people and the seizure of nearly $6 million in drugs in. There is an unindicted co-conspirator that we are yet to identify as the primary source that would coordinate with this drug trafficking ring, Kellner said. Colorado's first fully-licensed legal marijuana tour bus is now open for business. Click here to view all charges. The Drug Enforcement Administration announced a "major investigation" involving the seizure of 110,000 fentanyl-laced pills in the Denver area. The arrests were made by over 500 law enforcement officers, making this the largest drug bust in Denver history. As of March 31 in Colorado, a total of about 1.1 million fentanyl pills have been collected although DEA Special Agent Brian Besser said he believes that number has doubled since three months ago. Published: Jun. - 7 pounds heroin and 7 pounds crack 21, 2022 at 1:05 PM PDT. In an effort to beef up hiring numbers, the city is reforming its hiring practices by adopting more relaxed standards.