This affects every small town; small, medium, and large, Laird said. 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. The Courier Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, spent weeks interviewing agents, prosecutors, defense attorneys and local police and siftingthrough court, police and jail records in four statesto piece together details of thecriminal enterprise and thedestructive swath it cut across the U.S. culminating in arson, a toxic romance,betrayal and deadly revenge. 64-year-old Doug Caldwell of Hyden, 47-year-old Tony Collett of Stinnett, 57-year-old Scott Hazlett of Hyden, 59-year-old Tresa Hazlett of Hyden, 56-year-old Chrisley Lowe of Hyden, 44-year-old Gloria Lowe of Hyden, 56-year-old Wyckliffe Morgan, Jr. of Stinnett, 27-year-old Kasey Roberts of Stinnett, 66-year-old Henry Smith of Stinnett, 42-year-old Tommy Smith of Stinnett, 52-year-old Randal Wells of Busy, and 44-year-old Shannon Wilder of Essie were all arrested for trafficking methamphetamine, and taken to the Leslie County Detention Center. The arrests were part of the conclusion of. According to the Henderson Police Department . Agents persuaded judges to let them monitor drug traffickers' phones and movements. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WLWT-TV. But agents say he secretly cultivateda different crop marijuana. 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. Kentucky drug trafficking operation busted, over $2M and 10,000 pills seized. POLICE REPORT: Suspected drug . Two Kentucky men arrested in record drug seizure. 1:13. Why are teen girls in crisis? (888) 448-0302 Talk to a recovery specialist 24/7. 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. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke). Agents who monitored Jose Prieto's movements and phonesay Pack became entwined in a romantic relationship with him. He also started a business buying and selling used cars. Reporter Beth Warren: bwarren@courier-journal.com; 502-582-7164; Twitter @BethWarrenCJ. Our Street Crimes Unit, along with our federal and local partners, have worked tirelessly to take down this drug trafficking organization., Sheriff Keith Cain said, This investigation is yet another example of the strong relationship that exists between local law enforcement and our federal partners. 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. (Courtesy: Appalachia HIDTA) The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Chris Leach is a breaking news reporter for the Lexington Herald-Leader. TomoNews US. 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. His sonis serving a sentence of seven years and three months. (KY3) - Two people are behind bars in connection with a recent drug bust in Phelps County. 36-year-old Amanda Barrett of Stinnett, 28-year-old Nicholas Begley of Hyden. 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. 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. Agents believed Jose Prietobegan to see her as a liability. On Wednesday, five search warrants were served with a large number of drugs and cash being recovered. Authorities said two people were inside the barn at the time of the fire but were able to get out. SOMERSET, Ky. (WKYT) - Two men are facing charges in connection with a big drug bust in Kentucky. "Make sure you're on the right team.". Twenty people have been arrested in a monthslong drug investigation in Northern Kentucky, officials with the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force announced Thursday. As a child in Cuba, Jose Prieto Jr.'s family tossed into turmoil when Fidel Castro overthrew the government in 1959. Copyright 2020 | Breaking911 All rights reserved, One of The Largest Drug Busts In Kentucky History, Man Dead After Being Found Shot In Car That Crashed Outside Los Angeles Hospital, WATCH LIVE: Biden Hosts Vigil For Coronavirus Victims At Lincoln Memorial. Just a real great accomplishment by these guys.. According to the Fivco Area Drug Enforcement (F.A.D.E.) 20 arrested in large NKY drug bust; fentanyl, meth, heroin seized. According to the criminal complaints, from September 2020 to present, federal and local investigative agencies have conducted a long term investigation into the Willie Watkins Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) believed to be trafficking in methamphetamine, counterfeit pharmaceutical pills believed to contain fentanyl, and marijuana. In Louisville, he became a silent partner for Good Wheels auto repair shop on SouthSeventhStreet, southwest of downtown. Investigators caught her with sevenpounds of meth and more than $44,000 in drug proceeds. He joined the newspaper in September 2021 after previously working with the Anderson News and the Cats Pause. 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. In 2016, the cartel issuedJose Prieto an ultimatum: Work for them selling their drugs or be killed. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. 15 Best Amazon Clothing Brands Including Closet Staples and Statement Pieces, Memorial Day Sales 2023: The Best Early Memorial Day Deals You Can Shop Now, 45 Best Wedding Gifts That Are Way More Unique Than a Blender, 25 Trendy Amazon Spring Fashion Finds You'll Want in Your Closet ASAP. Kentucky Justice S01E01 Drug Bust Shootout. Just before 2 p.m. Monday, deputies spotted a woman with an active warrant driving near . Monaco highlighted the need to combat drug trafficking and fentanyl proliferation on social media, telling reporters on Friday that she and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram met with social media companies last week discuss how social media companies "must do more to stop the sale of fentanyl on their platforms.". 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. Wiley Greenhill or his designee would leave with the drugs. The conspirators were said to be distributing oxycodone in Madison, Estill, Clay, and Laurel counties from September 2019 to March 2022. Bethany Hall, 37, of Stanville; outstanding warrant, possession of marijuana and tampering with physical evidence. Garland said Friday that the Sinaloa Cartel is "largely responsible" for the increased fentanyl trafficking into the U.S. Stepp also said she was scared of an unnamed drug dealer. The University of Kentucky College of Public Health released a report earlier in 2022 analyzing the overdose deaths in 2021. However, investigators haven't found enough evidence to file charges. 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. All rights reserved. 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. His partnerfired back, killing the gunman and anotherpassenger. ", The agent said: "After her arrest, she's scared to death of Jose Prieto.". Highlighting some of them, They have a long history of violence, as well as drugs.. In-state methamphetamine production has become a significant issue in Kentucky. The Bardstown Police Department seized over 100 pounds of marijuana and $50,000 during a search at a home in Bardstown late last week, according to police. 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. An eastern Kentucky drug task force has seized nearly 75 pounds of marijuana, over 3,300 THC vape pens, nearly 30 pounds of THC wax, and $37,000 in cash in a drug bust in Montgomery County. My dad's taking people out right now, man," Louis Greenhill cautioned in a recorded call, according to court records. 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. The newsroom's investigation revealed the drug ring's links totheshooting of Detective Hyche,the killing of a 28-year-old mother and a 27-year-old man in Louisville, themurderof a man inDetroitand the mysterious death of a woman in a casino in Tunica, Mississippi. FLOYD COUNTY, Ky. (WSAZ) - Three people were arrested Monday after drugs, including fentanyl, were found at a home in Allen, the Floyd County Sheriff's . 20 years ago, marijuana was the most commonly abused illicit drug in Kentucky. OWENSBORO, Ky. (WFIE) - Federal and local authorities announced what they call the largest drug seizure in the history of Owensboro. The dog also sniffed out three suitcases on the plane stuffed with an estimated 80 kilos of cocaine the. THC is a psychoactive compound. If Jose Prieto worried she might spill secrets to police, he was right. That is 2,391 Kentuckians who died from overdoses in 2021 up from the 2,104 in 2020. February 08, 2022 12:09 PM. 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. Two months after Bowman's slaying, the drug ring wassuspected of a revenge killing in Detroit. Monday when they smelled the odor of marijuana. According to officials, the marijuana had a street value of more than $10 million. The attorney general said the U.S. government would work to seek their extradition to face charges on American soil. 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