The Jefferson County, Colorado, Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) West Metro Drug Task Force arrested ten alleged drug ring members suspected of distributing fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills, methamphetamine, heroin, and other drugs in and around the Denver metro area. Investigators say the group purchased the narcotics directly from a Mexican drug cartel. As of Thursday, the street value of the narcotics seized by investigators totaled more than $5 million.
The arrests followed a Colorado Grand Jury indictment of sixteen suspects on 116 felony charges. The indictments came at the end of a nine-month-long West Metro Drug Task Force investigation. The investigation began as a drug distribution case involving methamphetamine and counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl. Task Force Investigators used a Title III Wiretap and undercover operatives to develop information on illegal narcotics transactions that uncovered details of the drug trafficking operation and a host of additional crimes.
Jefferson County Colorado Sheriff’s Office
The investigation, subsequent search, and arrest activities associated with the law enforcement operation resulted in the seizure of more than 400 pounds of methamphetamine, 325,000 pills containing fentanyl, three kilograms of cocaine, one pound of heroin, and 1.5 pounds of fentanyl powder. The amount of fentanyl seized by West Metro Drug Task Force investigators equates to over 350,000 lethal doses. Authorities also seized seventeen firearms — many of which had been reported stolen.
The task force presented the results of their investigation to a grand jury through Colorado’s First Judicial District Attorney’s Office. The grand jury subsequently returned indictments against 16 individuals for charges including the unlawful distribution or sale of a controlled substance, unlawful possession with intent to sell or distribute a controlled substance, possession of a weapon by a previous offender/special offender, criminal attempt second-degree kidnapping, criminal attempt aggravated motor vehicle theft, vehicular eluding, leaving the scene of an accident, first-degree criminal trespass, and obstructing a peace officer.
Six suspects indicted by the grand jury remain at large. Officials did not name the yet-to-be-arrested suspects.
The West Metro Drug Task Force is comprised of deputies and officers from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the Colorado Joint Counterdrug Task Force, Golden Police Department, Lakewood Police Department, and the Wheat Ridge Police Department. The First Judicial District Attorney’s Office and many other Colorado law enforcement agencies assisted throughout the investigation and contributed to the successful indictments of multiple high-level drug dealers, officials stated.
Ten suspects that have been arrested are:
- Thiago Escalante-Torres, 22
- Angelo Gonzalez-Hernandez, 21
- Johnathan Kincaid, 41
- Stephanie Larson, 25
- Francisco Romero Portella, 35
- Jonathan Ortega-Carias, 25
- Pablo Ramirez-Martinez aka Alexander Ramirez-Martinez, 26
- Felicia Redearth, 42
- Daniel Emilio Torres-Torres, 23
- Kristy Wilson, 39
According to a Drug Enforcement Administration Public Safety Alert, Fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat facing the United States. It is a highly addictive synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. An amount small enough to fit on the tip of a pencil is considered a potentially deadly dose. According to the DEA alert, the Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco Cartel in Mexico, using chemicals largely sourced from China, are primarily responsible for most of the fentanyl being trafficked inside the United States.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX.
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