According to Geoffrey G Nathan of Federal Drug Charges.net, there were many big drug busts in 2013 that netted a lot of cash and illegal drugs. Some of the top federal drug busts of last year were the following
#1 DEA Announces Biggest Ever Synthetic Drug Bust - Louisiana
On June 26, 2013, the DEA announced the largest synthetic drug bust, which included suspects in 35 states and five nations. More than 150 arrest warrants were issued, with 11 in Louisiana. These arrests in Louisiana occurred in Terrebonne Parish, with 10 search warrants issued. About $500,000 was seized, along with several kilos of synthetic marijuana.
The investigation went on for seven months, and agents simultaneously served over 375 search warrants in 49 US cities, and also in Australia, Barbados, Panama and Canada.
Synthetic drugs are created in the lab, and also are sold as herbal incense, bath salts or jewelry cleaner.
Source: http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2013/06/dea_announces_largest-ever_syn.html
#2 Phone Call Leads to $3 Million Marijuana Drug Bust - Virginia
Drug kingpins were arrested in September 2013 in Richmond, VA, causing a criminal empire to crumble that stretches from coast to coast.
Caroline County VA investigators, working with Spotsylvania deputies and federal agents, uncovered a huge drug operation. And it all stemmed from a minor petit larceny telephone call by a neighbor of one of the drug kingpins.
The goods collected by the police during the drug bust included boats, antique cars and motorcycles. The police also seized more than 5000 pounds of pot and $3.25 million. Dozens of semi-automatic rifles also were taken.
Source: http://wtvr.com/2013/09/17/caroline-county-drug-ring-bust/
#3 $3 Million Cocaine and Pot Bust the Largest Ever in Albany Region - New York
On December 6, 2013, the Albany NY region saw its largest ever drug seizure. The $3 million federal drug bust was after the DEA surveillance of a man who was using a storage locker in Rensselaer County.
The investigation started in October 2013, when a DEA task force began to track Oniel Mckenzie, who is from Jamaica. He was suspected of using a local woman to help him to bring large quantities of cocaine and marijuana into the country.
The case broke open in October when the task force saw Mckenzie pick up boxes at a storage locker in Rensselaer. After he left that facility in a Jeep that day, federal agents got a search warrant to enter the storage locker.
Cocaine seized during the case was found to be worth $2 million . That was the largest cocaine seizure ever in the Albany area.
Source: http://blog.timesunion.com/crime/3m-drug-bust-largest-ever-in-capital-region/14145/
#4 Biggest Ever Heroin Bust in Northeast Ohio History - Cleveland
The biggest heroin drug bust in NE Ohio history happened on Sept. 18, 2013, when a long indictment was filed against dozens of suspects in a long running national drug ring. In total 92 men and women were named in an indictment that ran to 203 counts. The charges in the document varied from heroin trafficking to illegal possession of guns, to money laundering.
The investigation, termed Operation Fox Hound, found that heroin supplies were being funneled from Atlanta either by mail or by truck. The top dealers brought the product in from the south and into NE Ohio.
The investigation found that the men and women in the drug ring used violence to stop competing dealers and to reduce supply from other dealers. Some of those arrested robbed other dealers and sold that heroin to make more money.
#5 100 Arrested in Huge New England Heroin and Cocaine Ring - CT, MA, RI and NY
Federal, state and local police arrested approximately 100 people across New England on April 4, 2013, all of whom were allegedly involved in heroin and cocaine trafficking from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
Over 700 law enforcement officials executed federal and state arrest warrants in CT, NY, RI, MA and Puerto Rico. About 52 people were arrested for federal drug charges and for money laundering, and about 50 were arrested on state drug charges.
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