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 News: Treasury Takes Additional Action Against Sinaloa Cartel

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today announced the designation of Victor Manuel Felix Felix, a close associate of fugitive drug lord Joaquin “Chapo” Guzman Loera, leader of the Sinaloa Cartel.  Felix Felix plays a key role in Chapo Guzman’s drug trafficking organization and is the father-in-law of Guzman Loera’s son.  OFAC also designated four other individuals collaborating with Felix Felix and the Sinaloa Cartel.  Today’s action, pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act), prohibits U.S. persons from conducting financial or commercial transactions with these individuals and freezes any assets they may have under U.S. jurisdiction.

“By exposing additional family members and other affiliates of the Sinaloa Cartel, this action builds on the Treasury Department’s consistent efforts to disrupt Chapo Guzman’s drug trafficking activities,” said OFAC Director Adam J. Szubin.  “Treasury applauds the work that U.S. and foreign law enforcement authorities have already taken against the Felix Felix drug trafficking and money laundering organization.”

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Chief of Financial Operations John Arvanitis also stated, “DEA and its partners continue to expose facilitators of Chapo Guzman’s drug and money laundering empire.  Getting to the heart of the Sinaloa Cartel and other drug networks requires an aggressive, sustained attack by law enforcement.  These designations are examples of this effort and we will continue to target Chapo Guzman’s family members and business associates in order to inhibit their criminal operations that have impacted Mexico and other parts of the world.”

Victor Manuel Felix Felix is the head of a narcotics distribution and money laundering organization based in Guadalajara and Mexico City, Mexico.  OFAC is designating Victor Manuel Felix Felix, Jorge Guillermo Gonzalez Cardenas, Oscar Dominguez Villa Diaz, Rigoberto Dias Paniagua, and Gabriela Vazquez Villavicencio for their role in the operations of this criminal organization and material support they provide to Guzman Loera and the Sinaloa Cartel.  In May 2011, a Federal grand jury in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California returned an indictment charging Felix Felix and members of his organization with drug trafficking and money laundering offenses.  The indictment arose out of a DEA investigation linking the Felix Felix organization to the movement of ton quantities of cocaine in Ecuador and Mexico and the laundering of millions of U.S. and Canadian dollars through the international financial system.  In March 2011, law enforcement in Mexico and Ecuador arrested several members of this organization, including Felix Felix, and seized four tons of cocaine.  In July 2011, other members of the Felix Felix organization were arrested in law enforcement actions in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Colombia.  The U.S. is seeking the extradition of Felix Felix and other members of his organization. 

Felix Felix is the father-in law of Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, who is the son of Guzman Loera and Maria Alejandrina Salazar Hernandez.  OFAC designated Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar and his mother, Maria Alejandrina Salazar Hernandez, as specially designated narcotics traffickers in June 2012 for their support to Guzman Loera’s illicit activities.  The President identified Guzman Loera as a significant foreign narcotics trafficker pursuant to the Kingpin Act in 2001. 

 

Today’s action would not have been possible without the key support of the DEA.

Internationally, OFAC has designated more than 1,100 businesses and individuals linked to 97 drug kingpins since June 2000.  Penalties for violations of the Kingpin Act range from civil penalties of up to $1.075 million per violation to more severe criminal penalties.  Criminal penalties for corporate officers may include up to 30 years in prison and fines up to $5 million. Criminal fines for corporations may reach $10 million.  Other individuals could face up to 10 years in prison and fines pursuant to Title 18 of the United States Code for criminal violations of the Kingpin Act.

Buffalo Man Sentenced on Drug Charges

BUFFALO—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Arthur Hubbard, 36, of Buffalo, New York, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, cocaine, was sentenced by to 37 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Moscati, who is handling the case, stated that Hubbard bought “Big 8” quantities of cocaine (1/8th of a kilogram) from co-defendant David Manuel, which the defendant then redistributed to others. Hubbard was arrested along with 19 others and charged with being involved in a multi-kilogram cocaine distribution network between Buffalo, New York and Houston, Texas. To date, 18 of the 20 defendants have been convicted.

The case was the culmination of an investigation on the part of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Piehota; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian R. Crowell, New York Field Division; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Resident Agent in Charge Frank Christiano.

Mountain Home Man Sentenced for Distributing Methamphetamine

BOISE—Rudolfo Reyes, 25, of Mountain Home, Idaho, was sentenced in United States District Court in Boise today to 52 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Reyes to serve three years of supervised release following his release from prison. He pled guilty to the charge on June 19, 2012.

According to the plea agreement, on July 20, 2010, Reyes, a documented member of the Southside (Sureño) street gang, sold approximately 5.2 grams of methamphetamine for $470 at a residence in Boise. Reyes admitted that he knew the substance he sold was methamphetamine and that he intentionally distributed it. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Western Laboratory in San Francisco, California tested the substance and confirmed that it contained methamphetamine.

“Methamphetamine trafficking, particularly by gang members, is a serious crime that demands a serious response from law enforcement, prosecutors, and courts,” said Olson. “Mr. Reyes will spend more than four years in federal prison for bringing this horribly addictive drug to our community. I commend the multi-agency law enforcement work that produced justice in this case.”

The investigation included the cooperative law enforcement efforts of the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force, which is comprised of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, the Boise Police Department, the Caldwell Police Department, the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, the Fruitland Police Department, the Idaho Department of Correction, the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office, the Meridian Police Department, the Nampa Police Department, the Nyssa Police Department, the Ontario (Oregon) Police Department, the Canyon County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Reyes was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit treasurevalleypartners.org.

Leader of Poly-Drug Trafficking and International Money Laundering Ring Sentenced to 210 Months in Prison

ANCHORAGE—U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced that on September 14, 2012, Daniel Isaac Meza, 37, was sentenced to 210 months in prison for his leading role in a conspiracy to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, one kilogram of heroin, more than 50 grams of actual methamphetamine, and a quantity of oxycodone. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy M. Burgess imposed the sentence, which also included a $13,500 fine.

In his prior guilty plea, Meza admitted to supplying illegal drugs to multiple members of the trafficking organization, who then redistributed to lower-level dealers and drug users. Meza was the last of 11 charged defendants to be convicted of involvement in the expansive drug trafficking network, whose members were responsible for trafficking large amounts of illegal narcotics in Alaska and laundering the proceeds by wire transfer to El Salvador, Mexico, and Colombia. Eight defendants have now been indicted and convicted of direct participation in Meza’s conspiracy, which was charged along with a related conspiracy involving Patrick Sherman, a former corrections officer at Anchorage Correctional Complex. Sherman was convicted in November 2010, of cooperating with co-conspirator Brandi Barnes to distribute marijuana, cocaine, and heroin, along with syringes, in Anchorage Correctional Complex. Barnes pled guilty to her role in both related conspiracies on March 2, 2012. Two defendants—James McAnulty and Robyn Ray—were not directly charged in the conspiracy but have been convicted, respectively, of distributing cocaine on behalf of conspiracy member Billy Fuller and laundering more than $40,000 in drug proceeds for Meza. Edwin Giovanni Enriquez, Billy Walter Fuller, Michael George Raab, Debbie Beisinaiz, and Cori Jean Hillar, were also convicted for their roles in the conspiracy.

Additionally, Meza pled guilty to one count of international money laundering relating to drug trafficking. The indictment alleged that he sent drug proceeds to Mexico, Colombia, and El Salvador on 21 occasions. At this point, all of the defendants have been sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy.

According to information presented to the court at sentencing, Meza imported cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and oxycontin into Alaska, where these substances were distributed by a network of associates that included all of the other conspirators. Court documents alleged that Meza used hollowed-out Coleman coolers to smuggle narcotics into Alaska, and then transported money out of Alaska by wire transfer or by physical transportation of bulk currency concealed in electronic equipment. Court documents alleged that over 100 grams of heroin were found in Meza’s freezer in July of 2010, and that this heroin was only part of more than a kilogram of heroin that Meza distributed at an earlier time. Law enforcement exposed Meza’s organization by utilizing several court ordered telephone wiretaps.

In imposing sentence, Judge Burgess noted the seriousness and breadth of the crime, finding that Meza was an organizer and leader of the conspiracy, and found that Meza committed the offense as part of a pattern of criminal conduct engaged in as a livelihood.

The case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Anchorage District Office, and the Alaska State Troopers Mat-Su Narcotics Unit; the investigation was supported by numerous agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Anchorage Police Department, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Anchorage Airport Police.

Operation Devil’s Handshake Yields Charges Against 15 for Drug Trafficking and Firearms

BOSTON—Federal complaints were unsealed yesterday against seven individuals charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base following a two-year investigation dubbed Operation Devil’s Handshake. Additionally, state authorities arrested eight individuals for related drug trafficking offenses.

A total of 15 individuals were arrested early yesterday morning. The charges are the product of a coordinated joint federal and state investigation into illegal drug trafficking activities in Worcester. Of those arrested, seven have been charged in federal complaints, and eight have been charged by the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office.

The following were arrested on federal complaints:

■Sergio Hernandez, 29, charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base. He faces up to life in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million;

■James Dunston, a/k/a “Speedro,” 29, charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base. He faces up to life in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million;

■Richard Cruz, a/k/a “Compi,” 38, charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base. He faces up to life in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. (arrested in Puerto Rico);

■Shawna Gotsis, 26, charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base. She faces up to life in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million;

■Janette Hernandez, 53, charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base. She faces up to life in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million;

■Jeneva Hernandez, 25, charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base. She faces up to life in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million;

■Anthony Wooldridge, 27, charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base. He faces up to life in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million;

According to the redacted federal affidavit filed yesterday, the defendants distributed and supplied cocaine and crack cocaine in the Worcester area. Cruz is alleged to have shipped cocaine from Puerto Rico to Sergio Hernandez via the U.S. Mail. The cocaine was disguised in a resealed can of beans. A U.S. Postal inspector, working with DEA agents, intercepted the parcel before it was delivered in Worcester. A canning machine was recovered from Cruz’s home in Puerto Rico. It is further alleged that a number of these defendants have been convicted of crimes of violence and narcotics felonies and therefore face enhanced sentences.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early, Jr.; Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin L. Lane of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Division; Robert Bethel, Postal Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Worcester Police Chief Gary J. Gemme made the announcement today. The following agencies provided assistance in the investigation or arrests of the defendants: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Massachusetts State Police; Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office.

The federal cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cory S. Flashner, David Hennessy, and Mark Grady of Ortiz’s Worcester Branch Office. The state cases are being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Sarah Richardson and Terrence Reidy of Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early, Jr.’s Office.

The details contained in the complaint and affidavit are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.