DEA announces 617 arrests, major drug seizures in week-long surge targeting Sinaloa Cartel
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Drug Enforcement Administration announced Monday the results of a week-long operational surge aimed at dismantling the Sinaloa Cartel, which officials said is responsible for flooding the United States with fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin.
From Aug. 25 through Aug. 29, DEA agents across 23 domestic field divisions and seven foreign regions carried out coordinated enforcement actions that resulted in 617 arrests. Authorities seized 480 kilograms of fentanyl powder, 714,707 counterfeit pills, 2,209 kilograms of methamphetamine, 7,469 kilograms of cocaine and 55 kilograms of heroin. The operation also led to the seizure of $11.1 million in currency, $1.6 million in assets and 420 firearms.
“These results demonstrate the full weight of DEA’s commitment to protecting the American people,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “Every kilogram of poison seized, every dollar stripped from the cartels, and every arrest we make represents lives saved and communities defended. DEA will not relent until the Sinaloa Cartel is dismantled from top to bottom.”
In February, the Trump Administration designated the Sinaloa Cartel, along with seven other groups, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Officials said the cartel remains one of the most significant threats to public safety, public health and national security.
Authorities said the cartel operates with tens of thousands of members, associates and facilitators worldwide, across at least 40 countries, responsible for the production, manufacturing, distribution and trafficking of synthetic drugs.
DEA said the coordinated action combined enforcement, intelligence and collaboration with domestic and international partners to weaken the cartel’s command and control.
This surge, officials said, reflects the agency’s continued focus on confronting the fentanyl crisis and protecting U.S. families and communities. As part of a larger whole-of-government approach, DEA said it will continue working with the Homeland Security Task Force and other federal partners to counter designated terrorist organizations and transnational organized crime.
