Crime Ring Busted By Feds: Trucking Drugs from Mexico to Canada

Law enforcement authorities arrested ten individuals in various cities, following two federal indictments targeting members of an organized crime syndicate. These indictments accuse them of conspiring to traffic and import large quantities of cocaine and other controlled substances from Mexico through Los Angeles for export to Canada or redistribution within the United States.

On Tuesday, January 30, arrest and search warrants were executed by an international coalition of law enforcement partners in cities including Los Angeles, Sacramento (California), Miami, Odessa (Texas), Montreal, Toronto, and Calgary (Canada).

The investigation, dubbed "Operation Dead Hand," resulted in two federal grand jury indictments returned in Los Angeles earlier this month. These indictments, unsealed recently, collectively charge 19 individuals involved in the organized crime syndicate.

They include Mexico-based suppliers, U.S. distributors, a Canadian exportation leader, Canadian truck drivers operating in the United States, and a prominent Canadian trafficker and Italian organized crime figure, Robert Scoppa, who investigators allege was involved in purchasing large quantities of drugs on a wholesale basis.

According to investigators, the organized crime group employed Canadian "handlers" and "dispatchers" who traveled from Canada to Los Angeles to coordinate the pickup and delivery of large drug shipments, loaded onto long-haul semi-trucks bound for Canada.

The transportation involved numerous border crossings from the United States to Canada via various routes.

The indictments allege drug trafficking activities involving approximately 1,860 pounds of methamphetamine, 2,092 pounds of cocaine, 44 pounds of fentanyl, and nearly 9 pounds of heroin. The investigation also led to the seizure of over $900,000 in cash. The estimated wholesale value of the seized narcotics ranges between $16-28 million.

Courtesy: CBP