The arrests were announced on Friday, June 10, 2022. His work has been recognized by the National Headliner Club, the Associated Press Sports Editors, the California Newspaper Publishers Association, the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association and the Orange County Press Club. His stories have led to the closure of a chain of badly-run group homes, the end of a state program that placed criminals in inappropriate public jobs and the creation of a civilian oversight office for the Orange County Sheriff's Department, among other things. And fentanyl is much cheaper and more potent than drugs such as heroin and morphine. All rights reserved. The seizures of these dangerous and deadly narcotics come at a time when local law enforcement offices are being warned by the DEA about nationwide cases of mass fentanyl overdoses. Buena Park police recovered 821 pounds of methamphetamine, 189.7 pounds of cocaine and 20.5 pounds of fentanyl pills in a traffic stop of a minivan on March 17, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office. Isai Hernandez Higinio, a.k.a. And last year in Los Angeles, more than 3 million fentanyl pills were seized for the entire year. OC drug bust: Two drug dealers had enough fentanyl to kill 4.7 million people, DA says Its the largest drug bust in Orange County in nearly 16 years. A lethal dose of fentanyl is as little as 2 milligrams; authorities recovered 20.5 pounds. WebOREM, Utah (ABC4) A traffic stop has led to the arrest of a Springville woman who was found to be in possession of large quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine. Buena Park Police Department officers recovered the contraband on March 17 from Edgar Alfonso Lamas, 36, and Carlos Raygozaparedes, 53, after pulling over a minivan that was leaving a home in Buena Park, according to the release. A lethal dose is considered to be as little as 2 milligrams, and officers found 20.5 pounds. Just days ago in Phoenix, federal agents seized 150,000 fentanyl pills along with a kilo of fentanyl powder. drug bust 2 suspects accused of shipping fentanyl out of country from Orange County, police say Officers located five pounds of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the suspects' vehicle. It takes just 2 milligrams of fentanyl to be a lethal dose. 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Although the District Attorneys Office has requested bail in every bail-eligible case, to date only two of the defendants charged were held on bail in connection with the enforcement action.. announced a new crackdown on fentanyl through policies calling for dealers who sell fetanyl-laced drugs to face murder charges. Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. Needless to say we will be dealing with you again soon., Krosstech has been excellent in supplying our state-wide stores with storage containers at short notice and have always managed to meet our requirements., We have recently changed our Hospital supply of Wire Bins to Surgi Bins because of their quality and good price. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Download the TMZ App on the Apple App Store, Download the TMZ App on the Google Play Store. The agency said it seized three guns, almost $200,000 in assets and more than 3 kilos of fentanyl. Track SoCal rain with LIVE Megadoppler 7000 HD. 300 North Flower Street The investigations were conducted by the DEAs Overdose Justice Task Force, which was created to address opioid-related deaths in the greater Los Angeles area, most of which are caused by the synthetic fentanyl. A total of 19 suspects were indicted. WebA large seizure of fentanyl by sheriffs deputies this week yielded almost half the amount of the deadly opioid snagged by authorities in Orange County during all of 2018 a sign the Copyright 2023 News4JAX.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Updated: 4:26 PM CST January 5, 2022. Among the deaths are three people who fatally overdosed on Balboa Island in 2021 after ingesting what they thought was straight cocaine. All rights reserved, Walgreens Goes to Trial in Florida Lawsuit on Opioids, Mothers Behind Billboard Calling Out San Francisco's Drug Crisis Speak Out, States Look for Solutions as US Fentanyl Deaths Keep Rising, Beckham High School Teacher in Irvine Accused of Recording Students in Bathroom, Experts Say Big Bear Bald Eagle Eggs Unlikely to Hatch. Two Buena Park men have been arrested and charged with multiple felonies after authorities confiscated over 800 pounds of methamphetamines and nearly 190 pounds of cocaine, according to the Orange County District Attorney. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This bust comes after Spitzer announced in November 2021 that drug dealers can be charged with murder if someone dies from fentanyl that they manufactured or sold. Dubet says Mexican drug cartels are flooding the U.S. with fentanyl to keep up with the demand by drug users as well as to get potentially new customers. Buena Park officers recovered 821 pounds of methamphetamine, 189.7 pounds of cocaine and 20.5 pounds of fentanyl pills during the March 17 bust, according to a statement from the DAs office. lawmakers have been wary of legislation that would stiffen penalties for fentanyl dealers, Southern California home sales fall to all-time low, Teacher at Irvines Beckman High School arrested after recording devices found in restroom, Final bones of 50-year-old Laguna Hills mall are coming down, OC students snowed in at science camps are coming home, Killer keto? You read that right. This case and its results show the commitment of the Sheriffs Office and our law enforcement partners to remain resolute in seeking out and arresting those persons who choose to sell narcotic drugs in Orange County. Raygozaparedes and Lamas both face a maximum sentence of 37 years and 4 months if convicted on all charges. In most of the cases, the victims did not know they were ingesting fentanyl. Charges have been filed against two alleged drug dealers from Buena Park who had According to that release, Orange County saw a 1,000% increase in fentanyl-related deaths over the last five years due to the drug being disguised and sold as less potent substances. "Millions of unsuspecting people have the grim reaper looking over their shoulder and they have no idea how close they actually are to dying from taking a single pill," said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. Smaller box sizes are available with a choice of one, two, three or four dividers, while the larger box sizes come with an option for a fifth divider. Joker, 23, of Santa Ana was arrested April 1 on a grand jury indictment filed last month alleging he distributed fentanyl in counterfeit Percocet pills to an 18-year-old Tustin resident who died after ingesting the drug. Buena Park drug bust: 20 pounds of fentanyl, nearly 200 pounds of cocaine and over 800 pounds of meth were found, officials said officials said. READ MORE: Drug ring that operated from LA to Philadelphia busted, 83 pounds of meth seized. The DEA and the Huntington Beach Police Department are investigating the case, to be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gina J. Kong. Law enforcement Anyone having information regarding the whereabouts of either man should contact their local law enforcement agency, Hoovler pleaded, Hoovler expressed his frustration with legislation that has handcuffed prosecutors. Since the start of the Overdose Justice program in 2018, the DEA has worked with local police agencies to obtain about three dozen federal indictments charging defendants with death resulting from narcotics trafficking. We have to continue to do everything we can to combat this deadly drug epidemic and save lives.. Fentanyl does not discriminate and its affecting every community, ethnicity and generation throughout our country.. Medical experts agree with that estimate. WebAlleged drug dealers facing charges by Orange County DA David Hoovler. ORANGE, Texas A man and woman are behind bars after law enforcement officials found narcotics and firearms during an Orange County drug bust. In addition, authorities said they found nearly 200 pounds of cocaine and more than 800 pounds of meth.. On Feb. Multiple charges have been filed against the two alleged drug WebLocally, the number of fentanyl related deaths in Orange County grew from 36 in 2016 to 636 in 2021, a 1600 percent increase, according to county statistics. On the state level, lawmakers have been wary of legislation that would stiffen penalties for fentanyl dealers, hoping to avoid what they view as mistakes from the War on Drugs era when studies have shown tougher sentences did little to deter traffickers and unequal sentencing patters often targeted people of color. "Fentanyl is cheap, it's easy to get and it is killing our children, our coworkers and tens of thousands of innocent Americans who don't have to die. It happened Friday, January 27, 2023. Its done wonders for our storerooms., The sales staff were excellent and the delivery prompt- It was a pleasure doing business with KrossTech., Thank-you for your prompt and efficient service, it was greatly appreciated and will give me confidence in purchasing a product from your company again., TO RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE DEALS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS. Lamaslopez and Raygozaparedes are charged with three felony counts each of possession of a controlled substance with the intent to sell and sale or transport of a controlled substance, and they face sentencing enhancements for substances exceeding 80 kilograms by weight and 20 kilograms by weight or 400 liters by liquid volume. The Sheriffs Office said Lizandro Martinez Ramos and his 12 co-conspirators were part of a drug trafficking organization that distributed fentanyl and cocaine in Orange County. The two men pleaded not guilty to the charges during arraignments on March 21, court records show, and both remain in custody in lieu of $5 million bail. Police said the driver and passenger admitted having narcotics in their possession. Updated: 4:26 PM CST January 5, 2022 ORANGE, Texas A man and woman are behind bars after law enforcement officials found narcotics and firearms during an Orange County drug bust. According to authorities, that much fentanyl is enough to potentially kill 4.7 million people more than Jacksonville DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Mike Dubet says there has been a recent uptick in mass overdoses in recent months. That includes seeking lengthy prison sentences where appropriate. Lamas and Raygozaparedes also face two felony enhancements due to one substance exceeding 80 kilograms in weight and two enhancements for another exceeding 20 kilograms and 400 liters by liquid volume. Sean Emery is a crime and public safety reporter for the Register who covers state and federal courts and criminal justice issues. The synthetic opioid has gone from causing 4 percent of drug-related deaths nationally in 2014 to more than 70 percent in 2021, when more than 100,000 people died from fentanyl related poisonings or overdoses. Local leaders and law enforcement officials have identified the fentanyl epidemic as Orange Countys most significant long-term health crisis, as Sheriff Don Barnes described it during a public hearing earlier this year. Send me email updates and offers from TMZ and its Affiliates. }); 2022 Orange County District Attorney. WebAccording to that release, Orange County saw a 1,000% increase in fentanyl-related deaths over the last five years due to the drug being disguised and sold as less potent substances. 3 Kansas City officers shot while executing search warrant, chief says, At least 29 dead, 85 injured after trains collide in Greece: officials, Roof collapses at nonprofit South LA clinic, causing $500K in damage. Gang Reduction Intervention Partnership (G.R.I.P), The Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit, Mental Health and Recidivism Reduction Unit, Orange County Auto Theft Task Force (OCATT), District Attorney Report on Sheriffs Evidence Booking Audit, File a Petition for Termination of 290 Registration, Charges Filed in Largest Orange County Drug Bust in 16 Years Buena Park pair arrested with enough fentanyl to kill 4.7 Million People; more than 800 pounds of meth and nearly 190 pounds of cocaine taken off the street by the Buena Park Police Department. $ 200,000 in assets and more potent than drugs such as heroin and morphine with kilo!, Download the TMZ App on the Apple App Store, Download the TMZ App on the Google Play.... Balboa Island in 2021 after ingesting what they thought was straight cocaine and offers from TMZ and its Affiliates,. A crime and public safety reporter for the Register who covers state and federal and! 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