A witness told Louisville police Williamson grabbed a Gucci backpack from Stepp's back seat and ran to the back of the homein the Portland neighborhood, according to a recorded police interview. Its a historic amount for this area, that I am aware of, said Officer Shawn Dobbs, Somerset Police Dept. The judge agreed to denybond. Additionally, according to the criminal complaints, on January 13, 2021, federal and local law enforcement executed multiple search warrants at locations associated with the Watkins DTO in Owensboro, Kentucky. The police chief broke down the events leading up to the arrests. 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. Investigators said seven search warrants were obtained, resulting in the 20 arrests. / CBS News. Police stopped the car, and a drug-detecting dog sniffed out 40 pounds of meth. Bethany Hall, 37, of Stanville; outstanding warrant, possession of marijuana and tampering with physical evidence. The police chief said they have found the average cost of a fentanyl pill in Paducah is $25, bringing the total value of the pills to about $200,000. Both were untrue, police say. ", The agent said: "After her arrest, she's scared to death of Jose Prieto.". The cartel routinely sent large shipments of meth across the border into California and from there, the Prietos coordinated the distribution across the country. Police say Wesley Aaron Calhoun and Dennie A. Smith, both from Somerset, are facing charges of conspiracy to distribute, possession with intent to distribute. 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. 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. 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. Kentucky State Police say troopers stopped a vehicle on U.S. 23 regarding a traffic violation and smelled "a strong odor of marijuana" while speaking with the driver. Investigators say the accused part of the "Chapitos" network facilitated the purchase of the precursor chemicals of fentanyl from China, manufactured the deadly drug in Mexico, and then worked to smuggle the substance into the U.S. Four Chinese nationals and one Guatemalan national were charged with supplying fentanyl ingredients to the cartel. 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. All rights reserved. All are charged with conspiring to distribute oxycodone in Madison, Estill, Clay, and Laurel counties from September 2019 thru March 2022. According to the Fivco Area Drug Enforcement (F.A.D.E.) According to the Somerset Police Department, the five-month investigation, which also involved federal agencies and Kentucky State Police, resulted in them confiscating 30 pounds of crystal meth, guns and $30,000 in cash. James Lewis, 36, of Galveston, outstanding warrant. In turn, that meant he couldn't pay the Prietos. By. Just before 2 p.m. Monday, deputies spotted a woman with an active warrant driving near . She told agents she got 10 pounds of meth weekly from Jose Prieto and would meet him or Louis Prietoat area hotels for money drops, including one involving $75,000. The dog also sniffed out three suitcases on the plane stuffed with an estimated 80 kilos of cocaine the. But the lead agent told The Courier Journal: "Were not fully convinced. In December, a judge sentenced Jose Prieto to serve eight years and one month in federal prison. 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. 1:13. Published: Apr. These arrests follow a drug investigation by Kentucky State Police that began 18 months ago. This investigation highlights ATFs work with our law enforcement partners to combat criminal organizations and to make Daviess County a safer place to live., The Owensboro Police Department remains committed to getting narcotics and dangerous offenders off the streets of Owensboro. Said Owensboro Police Chief Art Ealum. Two months after Bowman's slaying, the drug ring wassuspected of a revenge killing in Detroit. SOMERSET, Ky. (WKYT) - Two men are facing charges in connection with a big drug bust in Kentucky. 60 people were arrested in Kentucky after a United States Drug Enforcement Administration drug bust of more than 800 pounds of methamphetamine. All rights reserved. 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. He later claimed the cartel torched his marijuana field as a warning and to stop him from making fast money to pay his debt. When they got out of prison, Greenhill flew to California to meet Jose Prieto. Rattled residents and many officers didn't know at the time of the Feb. 1, 2018, shootout in Buechel, Kentucky, that the men inside the pickup were connected to a much larger drug trafficking. Drug use by state: Where does Kentucky rank? Authorities said two people were inside the barn at the time of the fire but were able to get out. Police officials blamed the violent drug trade for a jarring spike inhomicides and an overdoserate that averagednearly a death a day. GREENUP COUNTY, KY (WOWK) On Tuesday, the Greenup County Sheriff's Office arrested multiple people for drug trafficking. Nelson County officials said the investigation is ongoing.. Anytime we can take this much methamphetamine, fentanyl and firearms off the streets it is huge! 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. According to the Justice Department, between August 2021 and August 2022, 107,735 people died of drug overdoses in the United States, two-thirds primarily from fentanyl. Kentucky Justice S01E01 Drug Bust Shootout. 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. Reporter Beth Warren: bwarren@courier-journal.com; 502-582-7164; Twitter @BethWarrenCJ. Twenty people have been arrested in a monthslong drug investigation in Northern Kentucky, officials with the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force announced Thursday. The Paducah Police Department offered thanks to the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, Illinois State Police, McCracken County Sheriffs Department, and Kentucky Probation and Parole for their assistance during the investigation. Monday when they smelled the odor of marijuana. Her relatives told reporters she was a loving mom who struggled with addiction, and they had tried to get her help. Washington Federal prosecutors unsealed criminal charges against 28 members and associates of the Mexican Sinaloa Cartel including the three sons of former drug lord Joaqun "El Chapo" Guzmn accusing them of orchestrating a transnational fentanyl trafficking operation into the United States. As Detective Hyche stepped toward it toarrest Goodman, a backseat passenger opened fire. 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.". Wiley Greenhill or his designee would leave with the drugs. As a result of those search warrants, law enforcement seized additional methamphetamine, counterfeit pills containing suspected fentanyl, marijuana, firearms, and over $325,000 in United States Currency. That way "everybody has to come to you.. The police department requested a search. The Prietossent associates to gas stations and other locations in Southern Californiato pick up drugs, the lead investigator said. With two generations of a single family are involved, with someone listed as young as 19 and another as old as 47. But the mother of a little girl and boynever made it out of her silver Ford Fusion. Each defendant is facing up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, three years of released supervision, and having to forfeit any assets used to facilitate the crimes. (Courtesy: Appalachia HIDTA) Knowing how dangerous this drug is, we began focusing on identifying how the fentanyl was coming into our community, said Paducah Police Chief Brian Laird, during a news conference Friday. 20 years ago, marijuana was the most commonly abused illicit drug in Kentucky. 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. At least 21 indictments and additional arrests are expected as the investigation continues. 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. RACELAND, KY (WOWK) - A man is facing multiple charges after a traffic stop led to a drug bust in Greenup County. 18, 2021 at 3:51 PM PDT LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Metro Corrections Officers made a large drug bust while doing a home incarceration, or HIP check, which yielded drugs, guns and thousands of dollars in cash. Of the 24 charged, eight are in custody across the globe. During a search of the vehicle subsequent to a certified K-9 alert, law enforcement recovered: approximately one-hundred fifty-one (151) pounds of crystal methamphetamine, approximately three and one-half (3.5) pounds of counterfeit pharmaceutical pills suspected of containing fentanyl (contained in Ziploc bags), approximately twenty-one (21) pounds of marijuana, approximately nine (9) pounds of THC edibles, approximately fourteen (14) pounds of THC related vape products, and approximately one (1) gram of ecstasy. Goodman pleaded guilty in 2019 in federal court to meth trafficking and is serving a 10-year sentence. a gunman fired bullets into his face and head, A ruthless Mexican drug lords empire is devastating families with its grip on small-town USA, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. 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. Together, they could make fast cash, a lot of it. According to the Fivco Area Drug Enforcement (F.A.D.E.) Every overdose that we respond to gets investigated, especially if it is fentanyl, Laird said. Lexington murder suspect offered 2 alibis. One person was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. Updated on: April 14, 2023 / 7:23 PM Both SWAT teams were able to safely secure the two locations and locate some of the wanted persons, Laird said. K-9 officer Fabi was deployed and alerted. Vernon Street Somerset, KY 42501 Phone: (606) 678-8191 Email: news@somerset-kentucky.com Services About Us Contact Us Advertise with Us Submission Forms. Jose Prieto sought out someone with a strong business background to help him earn money to pay off the cartel. Agents believed Jose Prietobegan to see her as a liability. HAZARD, Ky. (WYMT) - Wednesday morning, troopers with Kentucky State Police Post Hazard and deputies with the Leslie County Sheriffs Office arrested 14 people in a drug bust, with seven more wanted. He received an honorable discharge in 2008 and headed to college, earning a master's degree in accounting. Somerset police say its one of the largest drug seizures in the departments history. As with all the other drugs, meth is sold in bars, nightclubs, restaurants, and on the street. When ATF agentsmade an undercover buy from a Greenhill associate inLouisville, they traced a stolen.38-caliber Smith & Wesson Special theDetroit Police Department once issued to one of its officers. During a bond hearing for Jose Prieto, federal prosecutors in Louisvillecited Pack's suspicious death asone of the reasons heposed a danger to potential government witnesses and others. At the same time, Greenhill'sbrother, Jamarr Greenhill, cut ties and branched out on his own. A trusted shipper would then deliver the drugs and the Prietoassociate would leave the hotel with the drug payment. His sonis serving a sentence of seven years and three months. Mar 29, 2012 ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (WDRB) -- Police in Hardin County have announced the arrest of nearly two dozen and have issued an arrest warrant for eight other people. 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