DEA Champions 2025 Red Ribbon Campaign

WASHINGTON – Forty years after the death of DEA Special Agent Enrique ‘Kiki’ Camarena, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration continues to honor his legacy by supporting the nation’s largest drug prevention initiative—the Red Ribbon Campaign—throughout the month of October.

“The ultimate sacrifice made by Special Agent Enrique ‘Kiki’ Camarena inspires the men and women of DEA to continue our critical mission with unwavering determination. In order to win this battle, we must fight it together,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “Drug prevention is a critical and powerful tool that enhances knowledge and builds resilience. The Red Ribbon Campaign – the nation’s largest and longest drug prevention campaign – reminds us that a healthy, drug-free lifestyle can build a safer, stronger America for generations to come.”

This year’s Red Ribbon theme is “Life is a Puzzle, Solve it Drug Free,” highlighting how living a drug-free lifestyle helps build a stronger and brighter future, one piece at a time.

October is a cornerstone for DEA’s efforts around drug prevention, education, and community outreach. Through a unified focus on fentanyl enforcement, public awareness initiatives, and the National Prescription Drug Take Back Campaign, DEA works tirelessly throughout the month to promote community safety and encourage healthy, drug-free lifestyles.

DEA’s 2025 Virtual National Red Ribbon Rally is now live on www.dea.gov. The Red Ribbon Rally will be available throughout the month on demand at www.DEA.gov/redribbon and www.getsmartaboutdrugs.com.

The Virtual National Red Ribbon Rally includes remarks by DEA Administrator Terrance Cole; a musical performance by students from Center Stage Academy for the Arts in Clinton, Maryland; Color Guards from DC’s Young Marines and ChalleNGe Academy in Maryland; remarks from country music artists on the dangers of counterfeit pills; inspirational remarks from NFL Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Baltimore Raven Ray Lewis, and several scout troops from around the country discussing the Red Ribbon Patch Program. The winners of DEA’s 2025 Community Drug Prevention Awards and Visual Arts Contest will be announced, and viewers will learn many ways schools, community organizations, and families can get involved in this year’s Red Ribbon Campaign.

Every year, DEA recognizes October 23 through October 31 as Red Ribbon Week, which offers a great opportunity for parents, teachers, educators, and community organizations to raise awareness about substance misuse. In addition to our heightened outreach and awareness efforts you will see DEA #GoRedforKiki to honor Special Agent Camarena’s life and legacy.

Red Ribbon Week began in 1985 in Kiki’s hometown of Calexico, California, and quickly gained momentum across the state and then across the rest of the country. The National Family Partnership turned Red Ribbon Week into a national drug awareness campaign, an eight-day event proclaimed by the U.S. Congress and chaired by then President and Mrs. Reagan.  Every year since, Red Ribbon Week has been celebrated in schools and throughout communities.

October is also recognized as National Substance Use Prevention Month by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). As part of Red Ribbon Week, DEA and SAMHSA are sponsoring the 10th Annual Red Ribbon Campus Video PSA Contest. Last year’s winners and information on how campuses can submit a PSA can be found at www.campusdrugprevention.gov/psacontest.

DEA is also a co-sponsor of the National Family Partnership’s annual Red Ribbon Week Photo Contest. More information is available at www.redribbon.org.

DEA Targets CJNG Operations, Seizing a Million Counterfeit Pills and 77,000 Kilograms of their Drugs in Five Days

WASHINGTON – Today, the Drug Enforcement Administration announced the results of a week-long operational surge aimed at dismantling the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), one of the most violent and prolific drug trafficking organizations in the world.

Designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in February by the Trump Administration, CJNG is a significant threat to public safety, public health, and national security. CJNG is responsible for flooding the United States with deadly fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin to fuel addiction, overdoses, and violence in communities across the United States.

“DEA is targeting the Jalisco New Generation Cartel as what it is—a terrorist organization—at every level, from its leadership to its distribution networks and everyone in between,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “Let this serve as a warning: DEA will not relent. Working side by side with our state, local, tribal, and federal partners, and through the Homeland Security Task Force, DEA is committed to these partnerships to take the fight directly to designated terrorist organizations. Every arrest, every seizure, and every dollar stripped from CJNG represents lives saved and communities protected. This focused operation is only the beginning—we will carry this fight forward together until this threat is defeated.”

From September 22 through September 26, 2025, DEA agents across 23 domestic field divisions and seven foreign regions carried out coordinated enforcement actions that resulted in:

• Arrests: 670

• Drug Seizures:

• 92.4 kilograms of fentanyl powder,

• 1,157,672 counterfeit pills,

• 6,062 kilograms of methamphetamine,

• 22,842 kilograms of cocaine, and

• 33 kilograms of heroin

• Currency Seizures: $18,644,105

• Assets Seized: $29,694,429

• Firearms: 244

CJNG operates globally, with tens of thousands of members, associates, and facilitators in at least 40 countries. The cartel is responsible for the production, manufacturing, and distribution of synthetic drugs, as well as the violence and corruption that accompany their operations.

DEA is committed to taking down CJNG’s command, control, and distribution networks and the continued pursuit of CJNG co-founder and leader Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, also known as El Mencho. He remains one of DEA’s most wanted fugitives and the subject of a reward of up to $15 Million under the U.S. Department of State Narcotics Rewards Program.

DEA’s efforts are part of a larger whole-of-government approach to dismantling transnational criminal organizations and protecting U.S. communities. By working closely with the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) and other federal partners, DEA is ensuring that current and future operations align with broader U.S. efforts to combat designated terrorist organizations and transnational organized crime.

DEA Dismantles MS-13 Cell in Nashville

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and our partners successfully dismantled an MS-13 cell operating within Nashville, Tennessee.

After a 9-month investigation, a series of court-authorized search warrants were conducted this morning throughout the metropolitan Nashville area, resulting in the arrests of at least 17 members and associates of MS-13 across three states, including Tennessee, California, and Oklahoma. In addition, investigators also seized bulk quantities of marijuana, counterfeit pills, cocaine, THC vapes, liquid psilocybin, and multiple firearms, including assault rifles.

“These arrests represent a critical milestone in DEA’s mission to dismantle drug trafficking organizations operating in the United States and around the globe – prioritizing those designated by President Trump as Foreign Terrorist Organizations,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “MS-13 has left a trail of violence and devastation across communities nationwide. The residents of Nashville are safer today now that these dangerous individuals will be held accountable for their destructive actions. Today’s enforcement actions are not the last. More will follow, and we will not stop until MS-13 is no longer able to inflict harm on our communities.”

“The actions taken today against MS-13 are the first of what will be many strikes against those who prey on the weak in our society,” said Louisville Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott. “The DEA and our law enforcement partners will not allow foreign terrorist organizations to operate in our communities. We will hunt you down and bring you to justice.”

MS-13 is a violent international criminal gang that emerged in Los Angeles during the 1980s. Over the years, it has expanded its influence, establishing strongholds in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, while infiltrating communities across all fifty U.S. states. Fueled by its deep involvement in the illegal drug trade, MS-13 is notorious for its ruthless tactics, including extortion, human trafficking, assault, and murder, to maintain control over its territory. With thousands of members operating within the United States, MS-13 remains a public safety and national security threat.

We encourage anyone with information about MS-13 or other criminal organizations to report tips anonymously through the DEA Tip Line.

Today’s operation was made possible through the collaboration of DEA’s Louisville Field Division with Army Criminal Investigation Division; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Metropolitan Nashville Police Department; Tennessee Highway Patrol; local Tennessee drug task forces 23rd Judicial Drug Task Force and 19th Judicial Drug Task Force; and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Moving forward as part of a larger whole-of-government approach to dismantling drug trafficking organizations and protecting U.S. communities, DEA is committed to working with the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) and other federal partners to ensure current and future operations advance broader U.S. efforts to combat designated terrorist organizations and transnational organized crime.

FAST KCO Memorial Unveiled In Honor of Fallen DEA Special Agents and Military Personnel Ahead of 24th Anniversary of September 11

WASHINGTON – On Thursday, September 4, 2025, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration unveiled and dedicated a new memorial in honor of 10 Foreign-deployed Advisory and Support Team (FAST) members – three DEA Special Agents and seven U.S. military personnel – whose lives were lost in a helicopter crash in western Afghanistan in 2009.

Following the Taliban’s attack on the United States on September 11, 2001, DEA formed FAST to combat heroin production in Afghanistan, which was in part funding the activities of this terrorist organization. In partnership with DEA’s Kabul Country Office (KCO), U.S. Special Operations Forces, Allied Special Operation Forces, and their counterparts, FAST conducted several operations leading to record-breaking seizures of drugs, chemicals, weapons, and explosive devices. This team was also responsible for successfully dismantling several heroin production labs, effectively depriving revenue from the Taliban. The most notable FAST missions were:

• Operation Albatross in the Red Desert, which resulted in the seizure and destruction of 286 tons of hashish, and
• Operation Siege Engine, which resulted in the seizure and destruction of 18 tons of opium, 72 tons of poppy seed, 200 kilograms of heroin, 90 kilograms of morphine, precursor chemicals, explosives, and materials to construct improvised explosive devices.   

Following a successful joint counter-narcotics mission in western Afghanistan on October 26, 2009, a U.S. military helicopter crashed killing three DEA Special Agents and seven U.S. military personnel. 

16 years later, and one week before this year’s remembrance of September 11 attacks, DEA hosted family, friends, and colleagues – including members from FAST, KCO and the military – as well as leadership from the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Defense for an unveiling and dedication ceremony for the DEA Museum’s newest memorial.

The FAST KCO Memorial honors the ten brave heroes lost in that helicopter crash, including DEA Special Agent Forrest N. Leamon (FAST), Special Agent Chad L. Michael (FAST), and Special Agent Michael E. Weston (KCO).  Also honored from the 7th Special Forces Group SFC David E. Metzger and SSG Keith R. Bishop; from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment CW4 Michael P. Montgomery, CW3 Niall D. Lyons, SSG Shawn H. McNabb, SGT Josue E. Hernandez-Chavez, and SGT Nickolas A. Mueller.

Special Agent Leamon’s 15-year-old son joined DEA Administrator Terrance Cole to unveil the memorial in front of the more than 200 invited guests.

This dedication ceremony held deep personal meaning for Administrator Cole, who proudly served in the Kabul Country Office when it was first established. “This memorial honors the courage and sacrifice of law enforcement, our military, and the families who stand with them when called to serve and protect our homeland,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “Our nation once again faces unprecedented challenges as we confront foreign terrorist organizations on multiple fronts. DEA remains steadfast in working alongside our military and international partners to safeguard the innocent, dismantle the terrorist networks that threaten our national security, and uphold our enduring commitment to defend the United States of America.”

The FAST KCO Memorial will be prominently displayed alongside DEA’s 9/11 Memorial in the lobby of DEA Headquarters. Included in the Memorial are artifacts recovered from the site, which were enshrined in a shadowbox by surviving FAST members including Special Agent Michael’s MK 48, Special Agent Leamon’s M6, and the U.S. Marine Corps dog tag worn by Special Agent Weston.  In addition, visitors can see a FAST uniform, tactical gear, and other related artifacts. For those unable to visit the memorial, the history of FAST is available for viewing at DEAMuseum.org

The FAST KCO Memorial is open to the public and can be visited during normal DEA Museum operations. For museum hours, location, and FAQs please visit DEAMuseum.org.

Meth Hidden in a Gas Tank? Helping DEA as a Chemist

What motivated you to join the DEA?

Growing up in Saigon, Vietnam, I’ve seen and heard stories of people in my neighborhood who had died of a drug overdose, and caused lasting impacts to their family members and our society. Fortunately, my parents have always been good role models to me, which helped me realize how dangerous controlled substances are at a very young age. Moreover, when I was in college, I knew classmates had failed and dropped out of school due to controlled substance abuse. From those observations, I was determined to join law enforcement to help fight substance abuse. DEA is an ideal place for me and I have been a member since 2002.

What does an average day as a forensic chemist look like for you?

As a forensic chemist, I analyze seized drug evidence for potential presence of controlled substances, complete chemist worksheets, testify in court, and communicate with special agents and the prosecutors.

What has been your proudest moment as a forensic chemist thus far?

At some point in the past, I had an opportunity to assist the special agents in the field, where a vehicle was seized and agents were trying to find out what the “bad guy” was hiding inside. Nothing was found until we suggested siphoning the gasoline out of the tank, and found the presence of methamphetamine after air drying a portion of gasoline. That was a most enjoyable moment for all of us.

How can young people who wish to become a DEA forensic chemist best prepare themselves for the job?

As forensic chemists, we not only have an educational background in chemistry but are also willing to adapt to the constant changes in drug abuse trends in our society. From 2002 to the present, I have encountered controlled substances that have shifted from methamphetamine (ice) with low purity to MDMA, marijuana, oxycodone, high purity methamphetamine, and now fake M30 oxycodone with fentanyl. Moreover, we have to be ready to assist our special agents at clandestine laboratories when on-call and be expert witnesses at federal, state, and county trials when needed.

The synthetic opioid fentanyl – often mixed into other drugs – is now responsible for tens of thousands of American deaths per year. How has the fentanyl epidemic changed your job?

Since synthetic opioid fentanyl appeared roughly ten years ago, we are increasingly shifting our focus on fake oxycodone M30 analysis, which seemed to be yearly and is now down to a weekly basis. Also, we have more exhibits requested for rush analysis and our work backlog is getting bigger because of the impacts fentanyl is having on our society. 

Raising Awareness on National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day

DEA's "One Pill Can Kill" Campaign: Focusing on Fentanyl Awareness and Prevention

In the ongoing battle against the opioid crisis, one synthetic opioid has emerged as a particularly lethal threat: fentanyl. With its potency far surpassing that of other opioids, fentanyl has become a major contributor to the alarming increase in opioid-related deaths. Recognizing the urgent need to address this issue, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) launched the "One Pill Can Kill" campaign. This campaign, which has gained significant traction, aims to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl and provide tools for prevention.

Understanding the Lethal Nature of Fentanyl

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid often illegally manufactured and trafficked, is responsible for countless overdose deaths across the country. Even a tiny amount of fentanyl can have a fatal impact. This extreme potency makes it a particularly dangerous addition to the opioid crisis, leading to what the DEA aptly terms the "one pill can kill" reality.

The Core Message of the Campaign

The "One Pill Can Kill" campaign is centered on the importance of awareness and education. It aims to reach a wide range of audiences, including individuals, families, healthcare professionals, and law enforcement agencies. The campaign delivers a clear and concise message: Even a single pill or dose of fentanyl can have deadly consequences. This straightforward slogan underscores the urgency of understanding the risks and taking proactive measures.

Campaign Activities and Initiatives

The DEA's campaign employs a variety of strategies to drive its message home:

1. Educational Materials: The campaign provides accessible educational materials, factsheets, and resources that explain fentanyl's potency and risks.

2. Social Media Engagement: Utilizing social media platforms, the DEA shares eye-catching graphics, videos, and testimonials to reach a broader audience.

3. Community Outreach: Local events, workshops, and seminars are organized to engage communities in discussions about fentanyl's dangers.

4. Partnerships: Collaborations with other organizations, medical professionals, schools, and community leaders ensure a comprehensive approach to awareness.

5. First Responder Training: The campaign provides training to law enforcement officers and first responders on how to safely handle and respond to fentanyl-related incidents.

Taking Action: What You Can Do

The "One Pill Can Kill" campaign encourages individuals to:

1. Educate Themselves: Learn about fentanyl's risks, including how it can be disguised in counterfeit prescription pills or mixed with other substances.

2. Spread Awareness: Share campaign materials, graphics, and information on social media to reach a wider audience.

3. Support Loved Ones: Engage in open conversations with family members and friends about the risks of fentanyl.

4. Proper Medication Disposal: Safely dispose of unused medications to prevent their misuse.

5. Seek Help: If struggling with opioid addiction, seek assistance from healthcare professionals and support networks.

Final Thoughts

The "One Pill Can Kill" campaign by the DEA serves as a crucial reminder of the deadly impact of fentanyl. By spreading awareness and fostering a better understanding of its dangers, we can collectively work towards preventing further loss of life. Through education, engagement, and community action, we have the power to combat the opioid crisis and save lives.

DEA Announces Major Steroid Operation

Operation Cyber Juice: U.S., global takedown includes home labs, gyms, local distributors

WASHINGTON, DC – DEA officials today announced a nationwide series of enforcement actions targeting every level of the global underground trade of anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs, the vast majority of which are manufactured and trafficked from underground labs in China.  

DEA-led Operation Cyber Juice comprised of over 30 different U.S. investigations in 20 states and resulted in the arrest of over 90 individuals, the seizure of 16 underground steroid labs, approximately 134,000 steroid dosage units, 636 kilograms of raw steroid powder, 8,200 liters of raw steroid injectable liquid, and over $2 million in U.S. currency and assets.  In addition, DEA and its partners assisted in foreign steroid investigations in four countries coordinated by Europol.  Domestic law enforcement partners include the Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

In Arizona alone, Operation Cyber Juice investigations yielded the seizure of 4 underground steroid conversion labs, the seizure of nearly 150,000 dosage units of finished product, 121 pounds of raw steroid powder, 22 liters of raw steroid injectable liquid, and over $300,000 in U.S. currency and assets.  

Often found in these underground steroid labs are finished steroid product, raw steroid powder, oils needed for steroid conversion to a finished product, conversion kits, and other lab equipment.  These products are commonly obtained via the internet from Chinese chemical manufacturing companies and underground labs.

“Too many young people are ruining their lives and damaging their bodies from steroid abuse,” said DEA Acting Administrator Chuck Rosenberg.  “Through Operation Cyber Juice, DEA is attacking the global underground steroid market, exposing its danger and lies.”

“This multi-agency collaboration sends a strong message to those who traffic in illegal and dangerous performance-enhancing drugs,” said Peter T. Edge, executive associate director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “There’s no question that our joint efforts among HSI, DEA and Interpol targeting a very significant drug distribution network will have a huge impact on the distribution of illegal steroids and other dangerous performance-enhancing drugs in the United States.”

Rob Wainwright, Director of Europol, stated: “This international law enforcement action was accomplished through the cooperation of multiple agencies committed to the single goal of identifying and dismantling a lucrative criminal enterprise. Europol will continue its successful cooperation with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the World Doping Agency to eliminate this crime that spans across the globe and cyberspace”.

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Travis Tygart stated: "In the global fight against dangerous performance-enhancing drugs, collaboration between anti-doping organizations and law enforcement is vital.  This joint investigation again demonstrates that we can work together to identify and hold accountable underground steroid suppliers and users who are committing crimes and who may  also be cheating clean athletes and sport. The actions taken today will help to ensure that all athletes are safer and any young athletes who are pressured to use these drugs to win in sport are not preyed upon by illegal drug dealers."

Furthermore, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Director General David Howman stated, “For a long time now, the World Anti-Doping Agency has been concerned about the illegal activity in some countries of underground production and trade of anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.  These substances, either as full steroid products or in raw material form, are being produced in unsanitary “underground laboratories” with no concern whatsoever given to the labeling of the products, nor to the health of the end user – quite often the athlete, and worryingly, very often young people. This problem is proliferating globally. It has become a public health issue and therefore requires an international solution through partnerships and collaboration. By partnering with USADA and the DEA in this major steroid operation, WADA has been able to prevent potentially harmful steroid substances from getting into the hands of athletes looking for an edge. This is a good example of anti-doping and law enforcement working well together to further their own efforts of reducing doping and protecting public health.”

There is great danger in buying steroids, chemicals, and other illicit products on the Internet.  Many companies operating illegally both in the United States, China, and elsewhere have no regard for product safety and mislabeling is common – both intentional and unintentional.  Products are often misrepresented, and their safety is not at all guaranteed.  In addition, federal agents report that many of the underground steroid labs seized are extremely unsanitary, further illustrating the danger in buying these products illegally.  For example, recent lab seizures uncovered huge amounts of raw materials being mixed in bathtubs and bathroom sinks.

Throughout Operation Cyber Juice, DEA and its law enforcement partners worked closely with both USADA and WADA, receiving actionable intelligence that resulted in many of these investigations.  This vision was to utilize law enforcement, anti-doping resources, and intelligence, to assist in furtherance of their respective efforts.  In addition, Europol analysts were collecting information and providing leads to participating countries for further investigation.

Previous DEA steroid investigations such as Operation Raw Deal in 2007 focused on raw material manufacturers and suppliers in China and other countries; underground anabolic laboratories in North America; numerous U.S.-based websites distributing materials, or conversion kits, necessary to convert raw steroid powders into finished product; and Internet bodybuilding discussion boards that are the catalysts for individuals to learn how to illicitly discreetly purchase and use performance enhance drugs, including anabolic steroids.  Many of the underground steroids labs targeted in this case advertise and are endorsed on these message boards.

DEA Announces Tip Line, Wanted Poster For Chapo

WASHINGTON, DC – The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced today a toll-free tip line where the general public in the United States, Mexico, Central  and South America can report any information that could aid in the apprehension of Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman-Loera, who escaped a Mexican prison in July.

The tip line will be managed by the DEA San Diego Division. In addition to the tip line, the public can email tips to CHAPOTIPS@USDOJ.GOV. In concert with the launch of the tip line, DEA has also released a wanted poster that contains the number, email address, and the U.S. State Department reward of up to $5 million for the arrest and conviction of Chapo. The poster can be found at DEA.gov. 

“Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman-Loera has destroyed lives and communities throughout the United States and Mexico and his capture is a high priority for DEA,” said Acting Administrator Chuck Rosenberg.  “His escape poses a danger to the safety and security of both our countries.  DEA will continue to work closely with our Mexican counterparts and provide as many resources as possible to ensure his arrest.” 

 The tip line number in the United States is (844) 692-4101 and outside the U.S. the number is 001-844-692-4101.

Guzman-Loera was arrested on June 9, 1993, in Mexico on charges related to murder and drug trafficking and was sentenced to a 20 year prison term. However, on January 19, 2001, Guzman-Loera escaped from the federal maximum security prison in Jalisco, Mexico. While on the run from Mexican authorities, Guzman-Loera re-established himself as the top ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel and leader of the Mexican drug trade, becoming the world’s #1 fugitive and a Forbes-listed billionaire. He was rearrested on February 22, 2014, in a modest resort hotel in Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico. On July 11, 2015, he again escaped from Altiplano federal maximum security prison in the State of Mexico.

Guzman-Loera was in charge of the Guzman-Loera drug trafficking organization (DTO), which in turn, is part of the larger Sinaloa Cartel. Under the leadership of Guzman-Loera and his partner, Ismael Zambada-Garcia, the Sinaloa Cartel controls vast trafficking operations on an international scale, with the majority of its drugs being distributed to the United States. The Sinaloa Cartel bases its operations principally in the Mexican states of Sinaloa, Sonora, Durango and Baja California, although it also has representation in several other states throughout the Republic. In addition to its distribution cells in the United States, the DTO transports drug shipments to Canada, Australia, Europe, Africa and Asia. Their organization smuggles multi-ton cocaine shipments from South America through Central America into Mexico. They are also involved in the manufacture, transport and distribution of methamphetamine and heroin. Additionally, the organization operates several large scale marijuana plantations in Sinaloa and surrounding areas. The Sinaloa Cartel organization relies on bulk currency shipments to move drug proceeds across the United States-Mexico border.

Guzman-Loera has been charged with drug trafficking and related crimes in several U.S. District Courts, to include the District of Arizona, the Southern District of California, the Western District of Texas, the Northern District of Illinois, the Eastern District of New York, and the Southern District of Florida. The first U.S. indictment against Guzman-Loera was unsealed in San Diego on September 28, 1995, charging him and 22 members of his organization with conspiracy to import over eight tons of cocaine and money laundering.