Authorities with several police agencies assisted, including Dayton Police Department, Ft. Thomas Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, Newport Police Department, Covington Police Department, Cincinnati Police Department, Kentucky Probation and Parole, Campbell County Police Department and the Campbell County Sheriffs Department. On Wednesday, five search warrants were served with a large number of drugs and cash being recovered. Garland said Friday that the Sinaloa Cartel is "largely responsible" for the increased fentanyl trafficking into the U.S. From 2016-18, the Prieto drug ring dominated the meth trade in Louisville, saturating the citywith more than 100 kilogramsworth millions of dollars, thelead investigator told The Courier Journal. The investigation revealed Jose Luis Barata Vazquez, Alexey Barata Hernandez, Yoleisys Reyes Castillo, Dioslen Jimenez Ortiz, Kaid Rogers, Allison Renee Rogers, Michael King, Christopher King, Floyd Barker, Sheila Barger, and Samuel Barger were conspiring to distribute oxycodone. After several shots hit into Bowman's chest, his car struck a telephone pole and fence before coming to rest against a house near South 25th Street and Burwell Avenue. In 2016, the cartel issuedJose Prieto an ultimatum: Work for them selling their drugs or be killed. Hyche recovered and returned to work. Agents who monitored Jose Prieto's movements and phonesay Pack became entwined in a romantic relationship with him. Dealership owner, salesman rolled back mileage on cars before reselling them, police say, Teenager dies after being pinned by vehicle, Kentucky mom now facing charges in connection with death of child, Gun found in Ripley High School students truck, Thousand-ton rockslide cleared in Boone County. Dalawang drug suspects, patay matapos mauwi sa shootout ang buy-bust ops sa Nueva Ecija; nasa P14-M halaga ng hinihinalang shabu, nasabat . Rattled residentsand many officers didnt know at the time of the Feb.1, 2018, shootout in Buechel, Kentucky, that the men inside the pickup were connected to a much largerdrug trafficking organization one that lured violent gangs from Detroit and ordered millions of dollars of methamphetamine fromMexicos infamous Sinaloa Cartel. Once manufactured, the investigators allege the cartel used a network of vehicles, tunnels, aircraft, and couriers to smuggle the fentanyl into the United States, despite knowing the drug would kill Americans. The cartel routinely sent large shipments of meth across the border into California and from there, the Prietos coordinated the distribution across the country. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Together, they could make fast cash, a lot of it. He workedfor the state of California, auditing local municipalities participating in state government welfare programs. He didn't know Louisville police had intercepted the package, mailed through a private parcel service, and watched as Goodman picked it up from a porch in Buechel, then drove off in his white Chevy pickup truck. Investigators began to see proof of theDetroit link. After all the damage they levied personally or indirectly, Jose Prieto and his son quietly surrendered to police outside their West Coast homeson Aug. 13,2019. We know that nothing can repair the harm they've suffered or bring back the loved ones they have lost.". February 08, 2022 12:09 PM. If you know the whereabouts of any of these names: 38-year-old Amanda Bowling of Essie, 37-year-old Roger Bowling of Thousandsticks, 39-year-old Donald Holden of Hyden, 56-year-old David Miniard of Wooton, 59-year-old Mikel Morgan of Stinnett, 49-year-old Robert Mitchell Morgan of Stinnett, and 52-year-old John Roberts of Stinnett; you are asked to call Kentucky State Police Post 13 in Hazard at (606) 435-6069. The conspirators were said to be distributing oxycodone in Madison, Estill, Clay, and Laurel counties from September 2019 to March 2022. In Louisville, he became a silent partner for Good Wheels auto repair shop on SouthSeventhStreet, southwest of downtown. Ivan Guzman Salazar, Alfredo Guzman Salazar, and Ovidio Guzman Lopez El Chapo's son allegedly made hundreds of millions of dollars by sending fentanyl to the U.S., according to the Justice Department. The police chief said overdoses in Paducah have continued to rise year-over-year. As the case grew more complex and widespread,ATF agents called in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Louisville. He has been charged with trafficking marijuana, trafficking in a controlled substance and buying or possessing drug paraphernalia, according to court records. The following suspects were arrested on charges including: Austin Shepherd, 38, of Allen; trafficking in heroin, meth and fentanyl, tampering with physical evidence, and possession of drug paraphernalia. But the mother of a little girl and boynever made it out of her silver Ford Fusion. The methamphetamine seized had a street value of almost 7 million dollars and could have provided enough dosage units to fill a capacity crowd at a professional football stadium four times over! Authorities said two people were inside the barn at the time of the fire but were able to get out. Although individuals in Kentucky struggle with different types of drug abuse, there are many types that are among the most common. He later claimed the cartel torched his marijuana field as a warning and to stop him from making fast money to pay his debt. The University of Kentucky College of Public Health released a report earlier in 2022 analyzing the overdose deaths in 2021. Updated: May. The Paducah Police Department is asking for help locating those who have not yet been arrested. According to the criminal complaints, between January 6, 2021, and January 11, 2021, Willie Watkins, age 30 of Owensboro, Kentucky coordinated the purchase of approximately 150 pounds of suspected methamphetamine with an unidentified male, located in the Los Angeles, California area, and counterfeit pills containing suspected fentanyl from a source in the Phoenix, Arizona area. Agents persuaded judges to let them monitor drug traffickers' phones and movements. The Prieto ring also is suspected offunneling a similar volume to Chicago, Atlanta,Detroit, Buffaloand cities in New Jersey, according to the DEA agent, who The Courier Journal isn't naming because of the sensitivity of his work. Just a real great accomplishment by these guys.. THC is a psychoactive compound. I think she may have been given an ultimatum," to take her own life or the drug ring would kill her or someone she loved. They also sent associates to Louisville and put them up in hotels, where they waited for Wiley Greenhill or one of his associates to bring money to their hotel room, the DEA agent said. PADUCAH, Ky. (FOX 56) The Paducah Police Department updated the public on a large ongoing fentanyl trafficking investigation on Friday. Drug bust fail: dealer tries to hide 20 heroin bags by swallowing them during police drug bust. OWENSBORO, Ky. (WFIE) - Federal and local authorities announced what they call the largest drug seizure in the history of Owensboro. Task Force, authorities conducted a search warrant at a home in Grayson, Kentucky where they found and seized nearly 1,000 doses of fentanyl, cocaine, firearms and more than $8,000 in U.S. currency. Each conspirator is facing up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1 million, and up to three years of supervised release. Vernon Street Somerset, KY 42501 Phone: (606) 678-8191 Email: news@somerset-kentucky.com Services About Us Contact Us Advertise with Us Submission Forms. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. DEA agents led the three-year investigation anddubbed it "Operation Triple Crown," the pinnacle of thoroughbred racing, as they worked to track the pipeline's origins fromLouisville and Detroitback to the father-and-sonsuppliers in California. Those who were politically connected, including hisgrandfather, became targets. somerset-kentucky.com 110-112 E. Mt. Based on the evidence obtained from the long term investigation and the search warrants, additional members of the Watkins DTO, including Christopher McNary, age 31 of Owensboro, Kentucky, Richard Cason, age 29 of Owensboro, Kentucky, Keith Watkins, age 28 of Owensboro, Kentucky, and Samuel White, age 27 of Owensboro, Kentucky were also charged in a second criminal complaint with conspiring with each other and others to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. The Northeast Kentucky Drug Task Force executed a search warrant which led to one of the largest drug busts involving fentanyl in Boyd County History, according to a news release. As an adult, Jose Prieto settled in the Californiatown of Apple Valley, known for its fruit orchards. That's when his estranged father came knocking. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Police said a total of 23 people were charged during the 18-month investigation, with 14 arrests this week. Stepp later told police the three had flown on one-way tickets to Phoenix to buy meth and possibly heroin to bring back to Louisville, according to an investigatory letter in Kentucky court records. and last updated 8:11 PM, Jul 20, 2022. GCSO says they stopped a car on Main Street in Greenup, and the driver, Sarah James, 42, of Hood Run Road in Greenup, Kentucky, had a suspended license. All rights reserved. Nelson County officials said the investigation is ongoing.. Both SWAT teams were able to safely secure the two locations and locate some of the wanted persons, Laird said. We know these folks were heavily involved in it. In-state methamphetamine production has become a significant issue in Kentucky. The remaining seven are wanted for active indictment warrants. The news comes just one day after Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco met with members of Mexican security officials in Washington, D.C. in part to discuss the fentanyl crisis. Two months after Bowman's slaying, the drug ring wassuspected of a revenge killing in Detroit. Two men are facing charges in connection with a big drug bust in Kentucky. LONDON, Ky. (FOX 56) An investigation into a Louisville-based drug trafficking operation led to 12 people being arrested. They were listening when Louis Prieto told an associate that his fatherwas upset and in Louisville and that Wiley Greenhill's life was in danger, according to a transcript of court testimony. According to the complaints, on January 11, 2021, members of the DEA from multiple districts and local law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle being operated by another suspected member of the Watkins DTO in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, as the vehicle travelled from Arizona toward the Western District of Kentucky. Police stopped the car, and a drug-detecting dog sniffed out 40 pounds of meth. And the money rolled in. (LEX 18) Authorities say five arrests in Kentucky have resulted in what's being considered the "biggest drug bust in Laurel County involving meth" as . ROLLA, Mo. He is serving a 15-year prison sentence in a state prison for first-degree manslaughter in Bowman's death, according to the Kentucky Department of Corrections. In turn, that meant he couldn't pay the Prietos. WAYNE COUNTY, Ky. (WYMT) - One Wayne County woman is facing a host of charges following a traffic stop. Five days later, Hall was arrested in Vinita, Oklahoma,after police found 15 pounds of methin his rental car, according to a criminal complaint filed against him in federal court. And in 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized more than 50 million fentanyl-laced pills, more than double the amount collected the year prior, the Justice Department said. . Louis Prieto didn't need the money. That associate would deliver the drugs to a shipper, someone designated to get the drugs to Louisville andother destinations. For law enforcement, the case began a few years ago with one key question: Who was behind an influx of meth into Louisville? LONDON, Ky. (LEX18) Agents across Kentucky arrested 12 people and confiscated more than 10,000 oxycodone pills. The Paducah Police Department provided details on some of those involved and some of their histories. Police also found 36 pounds of THC dab butter, nine pounds of THC edibles, 351 THC vape pens, 1.5 pounds of mushrooms and assorted drug paraphernalia, according to a release from the Bardstown Police Department. Federal officials on Friday detailed the Chapitos' gruesome and cruel practices aimed at extending their power and amassing greater wealth from testing the potency of the fentanyl they allegedly produced on prisoners to feeding victims of their violence to tigers in order to intimidate civilians. Investigators suspect that during 2016-2018 drug ring members alsowere involved inat least four deaths in Michigan, Kentucky and Mississippi. Others are dead or at large. A year later, drug ring member Roger Dale Goodman, 37, and hisbuddies headed to pick up a box with 2 pounds of meth for the organization. Greenhill associates later told investigators they relocated because they heard Louisville was "chill,"meaning the drug trade was less competitive so they could establish a foothold,said Shawn Morrow, special agent in charge of the ATF's Louisville Field Division. FLOYD COUNTY, Ky. (WSAZ) Three people were arrested Monday after drugs, including fentanyl, were found at a home in Allen, the Floyd County Sheriffs Office said. LEXINGTON, Ky. ( WKYT /Gray News) - At least a dozen horses were killed in a barn fire in Lexington, Kentucky Friday morning. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. By. Investigators say all of the suspects were taken to the Floyd County Jail, and more arrests are expected in the case. (Courtesy: Appalachia HIDTA) Months before her death, Jose Prieto had visited the same casino. The DEA Evansville HIDTA Resident Office is committed to working with the Owensboro Police Department and our other federal, state, and local partners to keep our communities safe by investigating and arresting violent drug traffickers. Hall pepperedBowman'ssilver sedan with bulletsin the 1600 block of South 25th Street. She put her affairs in order, including signing over custody of her son, and headed to a Tunica casino. The Prietosestablished the Louisville pipeline in 2016 after another one of Jose Prieto'ssons befriended Wiley Greenhill while both were inmatesat theRoederer Correctional Complex, an Oldham County prison about 23 miles northeast of Louisville. Several agencies including, the DEA Criminal Diversion Group, the Kentucky Attorney General's Office, Barbourville Police, and several other departments helped to arrest the following people: Jose Luis Barata Vazquez, Alexey Barata Hernandez, Yoleisys Reyes Castillo, Dioslen Jimenez Ortiz, Kaid Rogers, Allison Renee Rogers, Michael King, Christopher King, Floyd Barker, Sheila Barger, and Samuel Barger. Both are equally committed to ridding our community of the scourge of organized drug trafficking and keeping our citizens safe.. Brandon A. Williamson, 29,walked up behind him, leaned over and pointed a gun at Stepp. According to the Henderson Police Department . In the summer of 2020, we started seeing an increase in fentanyl in the Paducah area. 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Tunica police ruled Pack's deatha suicide. OWENSBORO, Ky. An Owensboro Drug Trafficking Organization is behind bars and charged with multiple felonies after being caught with 151 pounds of methamphetamine, 3.5 pounds of counterfeit pills with suspected deadly fentanyl, and other drugs, announced United States Attorney Russell Coleman. The Prietossent associates to gas stations and other locations in Southern Californiato pick up drugs, the lead investigator said. HENDERSON, Ky. (WFIE) - Authorities say 49 people were charged in connection to a large-scale narcotics trafficking investigation in Henderson County. Police say the investigation began in February when a Somerset police officer found 10 grams of meth and a safe when conducting a search warrant at Smiths home. On top of arresting 12 people, the joint investigation seized approximately 10,000 diverted oxycodone pills and over $2 million. Less than a month before her death, police stopped Stepp and two menat an airport in Arizona and found more than $20,000 hidden inside the lining of her suitcase. large ongoing fentanyl trafficking investigation, Kentucky drug trafficking operation busted, over $2M and 10,000 pills seized, Drug disposal program aims to prevent addiction in Kentucky, DEA nets over 10K pounds of unused drugs in Kentucky takeback event. NEW CLOSER LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERSHIPS IN WESTERN KENTUCKY RESULT IN MOST SIGNIFICANT DRUG SEIZURE IN OWENSBORO HISTORY. TomoNews US. These arrests follow a drug investigation by Kentucky State Police that began 18 months ago. He said SWAT teams were used to secure two locations one on Levin Avenue and another on Coronado Court, because of the violent criminal history of some of those involved. (888) 448-0302 Talk to a recovery specialist 24/7. LOUISVILLE, Ky. 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