Today, DEA, in collaboration with our Federal, State and Local law enforcement partners, took down a violent methamphetamine trafficking organization, with direct ties to Mexico and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, and whose tentacles extended beyond Arkansas to many other states, stated DEA Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley. Included in that have been at least six parole revocation arrests. Methamphetamine use in 18 to 25 year-olds statewide is the second highest percentage in the nation (4.41%). This, in turn, can increase the likelihood of overdoses. Updated: Feb 26, 2023 / 06:42 PM CST. An official website of the United States government. We saw the families and children suffer more because of (the price increase), Smith said. Officials at the time were concerned the Fort Smith region lacked adequate resources to treat the drug, which recovery coach Austin Coats estimated more than half the clients at Harbor House Recovery Center used. Lock This prosecution is part of the Western District of Arkansas Operation Bear Mountain Bingo, which is part of the Department of Justices Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. [8] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 64.6 square miles (167 km 2 ), of which 61.7 square miles (160 km 2) is land and 3.9 square miles (10 km 2) (6.3%) is water. Eighteen defendants are facing federal charges in the Western District of Arkansas for alleged methamphetamine trafficking and money laundering schemes in the Fort Smith region. David Clay Fowlkes, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, Brad L. Byerley, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration and Diane L. Upchurch, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, announced that 14 individuals were arrested today by federal, state, and local law enforcement as part of a roundup following an over year-long investigation into methamphetamine trafficking in Sebastian, Crawford, and Logan Counties in Arkansas. Suspect in shooting of Springdale woman shot by officer after pointing gun at police, Communication program for people with nonverbal autistm coming to Fort Smith, Heavy rain and storms likely to increase Thursday across Arkansas, Storm warning fatigue | Alerting Arkansas. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearings for the United States District Court in Fort Smith. Those arrested Thursday will be scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Fort Smith before Magistrate Judge Mark Ford "in the coming days," according to the release. Prior he has done stretches in the ADC for theft by receiving and residential burglary out of Sebastian County from all the way back in 2014. Mounts recommended family members with loved ones who are addicted to drugs have a naloxone kit on hand in case of an overdose. This investigation has dealt a serious setback to drug trafficking organizations that endanger not only our communities in the Western District of Arkansas but also other communities throughout the nation, stated First Assistant U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes, The indictments and arrests in this case were only made possible due to the unprecedented cooperation between Federal, State and Local Agencies. 2020: 2019: 2018: 2015: 2010: Table: Drug Arrest Data for 2010-2020 Table: Total Annual Arrests in the US by Year and Type of Offense FBI Uniform Crime Report. At the end of the day, if we dont get up and go back to work, who takes care of everybody else? Mounts said. The local numbers reflect the statewide ones Arkansas from March through July has seen a 130% administration increase in the opioid counter agent naloxone, according to the Arkansas Drug Directors office. Copyright 2023, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Smith in December also said perceived hopelessness contributes to drug addiction. "The indictments and arrests in this case were only made possible due to the unprecedented cooperation between federal, state and local agencies.". Western Arkansas drug sting results in fourteen arrests in three counties. The defendants arrested Thursday are Manuel DeJesus Perez-Echeverria, Humberto Acosta-Martinez, Julio Ivan Enriquez-Munoz, Alberto Ledesma, Efrain Maciel-Martinez, Traye Everett Martin, Julie Ann Pyles, Ezequiel Rodriguez, Paula Lynne Rider, Ronal Salinas, Benjamin Valdez, Amber Renee Vance, Emily Elizabeth Williams and Michael Dean Wilson. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Featuring up to the minute breaking news and the most in-depth Razorback, business, and . The Drug Task Force has since established social distancing and personal protective equipment protocols to ensure they can continue their work. Fourteen of the defendants were arrested Thursday on a fifteen-count indictment involving the distribution of methamphetamine and money laundering from the alleged drug trafficking scheme. fort smith, ar drug arrests. The roundup came after an investigation into methamphetamine trafficking in Sebastian, Crawford and Logan counties lasting more than a year, according to a news release from the office of David Clay Fowlkes, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Arkansas. Western Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma's local news leader! Twelve members of illegal operation sentenced to federal prison terms. The defendants who were arrested today will be scheduled to appear in the United States District in Fort Smith before United States Magistrate Judge Mark Ford in the coming days. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Western District of Arkansas
As a conveniece to the citizens of Fort Smith additional reports are also available online. of Justice, September 2021. Constantly updated. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nations illicit drug supply. . Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. 01/23/2023. #6-2023. Because of persistent and collaborative efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies in the area, a major supplier of methamphetamine to this region of Arkansas is out of business, said Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley. Working alongside the (Drug Enforcement Administration) and our tremendous Arkansas law enforcement partners, we are committed to dismantling criminal organizations who flood our communities with dangerous narcotics and create violence in our neighborhoods.. Fort Smith, AR 72903 479-783-1002 www.hhsafetycenter.org A person is presumed innocent unless or until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Fort Smith. Paramedics, recovery specialists and law enforcement officials have faced obstacles in fighting the drug culture while also adhering to safety measures. That's where nearly a decade of addiction, parole violations and drug dealing caught up with her. He was guiven an enhanced sentenced with a four-year add-on for being a hab otual criminal. The indictment alleges that the 29 people, between November 2016 and September, conspired to traffic methamphetamine and heroin, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for . Alabama Arkansas Arizona California Colorado Florida Georgia Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kentucky Kansas Louisiana Maine Maryland Michigan Minnesota Missouri Mississippi Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico North Carolina Oklahoma . (KNWA) Twenty-four people were arrested on warrants following a 10 month drug investigation, according to Van Buren police. All rights reserved. Fort Smith, Arkansas David Clay Fowlkes, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, Brad L. Byerley, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration and Diane L. Upchurch, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, announced that 14 individuals were arrested today by federal, state, and local law enforcement as part of a roundup following an over year-long investigation into methamphetamine trafficking in Sebastian, Crawford, and Logan Counties in Arkansas. Around 6 a.m. 70 officers from multiple agencies went to execute 30 narcotic related search warrants in Dewitt, Stuttgart and Gillett. The individuals arrested today enriched themselves off the misery and sufferings of others, said FBI Little Rock Field Office Special Agent in Charge Diane Upchurch in the news release. A Pine bluff Man who has had at least 16 felony arrest since 2005 found himself sentenced to 12 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections on drug charges in proceedings that were held Friday in Sebastian County Circuit Court. Main Office:
POSS W/PURP TO DEL CONT SUB STIMULANTS. These arrests require the arrestees to post a bond or . For approximately a year between September 2019 and September of 2020, agents conducted extensive investigative activities into a large, River Valley-based drug trafficking organization led by Manuel Chuy De Jesus Perez-Echeverria. Their indictment was related to a similar previous indictment from which defendants Emmanual Miranda, Israel Miranda-Zapata, Brenda Golden Day and Alexis Tirado were arrested on Aug. 5. The drug users in the Fort Smith region were willing to pay full price. There are around a dozen national hotel chains in Fort Smith, concentrated around the local airport. But COVID-19 has made their fight even tougher. Day on two occasions distributed more than 5 grams of meth. An arrest warrant represents a finding of probable cause. U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Arkansas, 14 Defendants Arrested Following Drug Trafficking Investigation And Roundup, Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to More Than 44 Years Combined in Federal Prison, Fayetteville Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking, Farmington Man Sentenced to More Than 13 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking. She was arrested for delivery and possession of meth and simultaneous possession of drugs and a. Under normal circumstances, Tim Mounts responds to one overdose call each week. Recovery workers also cant take their clients to the meetings, Coats said. Smith and others in drug enforcement have continued their drug education efforts in the schools like they did before the pandemic. Additionally, the operation led investigators to Wilkes County in June 2020 and the seizure of more than 200 pounds of methamphetamine and the arrest of three individuals. At one time, Federal marshals used to ride out of the United States and into Indian Territory at this juncture. An estimated 12,600 people lost their jobs in the Fort Smith region from restrictions placed on businesses, according to Western Arkansas Planning and Development District officials. One State Police Plaza Dr. Little Rock, AR 72209. We urge anyone with information about Arkansas criminal organizations to contact our FBI office.. Alberto Ledesma age 43, Fort Smith, Arkansas sentenced October 18, 2021 to 188 months BOP, $100 special assessment and $2,900 fine for Distribution of More than Fifty (50) Grams of Methamphetamine. Todays announcement is part of the Western District of Arkansas Operation Bear Mountain Bingo, which is part of the Department of Justices Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. In the fall of 2019, Agents with the DEA and the FBI launched an investigation into drug trafficking and money laundering in the Western District of Arkansas. Most of them will say, This truck came out or that truck came out.. Circuit Court - Fort Smith, AR: Drug Court: Number Charge Description Offense Date Docket Number Sentence Date Disposition Disposition Date Sentence Length Crime Class Arresting Agency Attempt/Commit Bond; 3: Drug Court Sanctions * 2/13/2023 4:00 PM: Jail Time: . Fort Smith Police Dept. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Perez-Echeverria is also accused of possessing a firearm in relation to his drug activity, the indictment reads. Western Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma's local news leader! - A Fort Smith man, Richard David Hulsey, 46, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine announced Drug Enforcement (DEA) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Matthew Barden and United States Attorney Kenneth Elser of the Western District of Arkansas. The Fort Smith Arrest Records Search (Arkansas) links below open in a new window and take you to third party websites that provide access to Fort Smith public records. FORT SMITH (KFSM) Seventeen people have been arrested for various drug-related charges. Climate [ edit] Recently, 14 of those. Two people were found dead Friday in Fort Smith from apparent drug overdoses, Fort Smith police reported. While these protocols add additional elements to what can already be a difficult or stressful job, Mounts and his fellow paramedics do them anyway. If you wish to remain anonymous, you may contact CrimeStoppers at 78-CRIME (782-7463) and your information will be kept . Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Carter prosecuted the case for the United States. Have a question about Government Services? ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Narcotics investigators in the region saw the price of drugs level off in May and then fall back down to normal levels in June and July as cartels found effective ways to push drugs into the states. Drug users seeking a bed at Harbor House now might have to wait four months to get into one of its 33 residential beds and four detox beds. It's also directly related to a July indictment in which four others who were arrested on Aug. 5 -- Emmanuel Miranda, Israel Miranda-Zapata, Brenda Golden Day and Alexis Tirado of Fort Smith -- were charged in a similar methamphetamine distribution scheme. "The individuals arrested today enriched themselves off the misery and sufferings of others," said Diane L. Upchurch, special agent in charge of the FBI field office in Little Rock. People call me saying, Look, I need help. WDAR Case No. Humberto Beto Acosta-Martinez age 33, Poteau, Oklahoma sentenced October 12, 2021 to 48 months BOP, $100 special assessment, $300 fine for Conspiracy to Distribute a Mixture or Substance Containing Methamphetamine. Fort Smith Police arrested a man in connection with a hit-and-run that left a pedestrian severely injured. Mathews was arrested in August of 2020 and charged with a total of three drug-related violations including possession with purpose to deliver meth or cocaine, and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia. The defendants listed in the Aug. 26 indictment are Manuel Chuy De Jesus Perez Echeverria, Humberto Beto Acosta-Martinez, Julio Ivan Enriquez-Munoz, Alberto Ledesma, Efrain Maciel-Martinez, Traye Everett Martin, Julie Ann Pyles, Ezequiel Rodriguez, Paula Lynne Rider, Ronal Salinas, Benjamin Ben Valdez, Amber Renee Vance, Emily Elizabeth Williams, Michael Dean Wilson and four others not arrested Thursday. Measures put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Arkansas created an environment that lends itself to drug use, officials say. The OCDETF program is the centerpiece of the Department of Justices drug supply reduction strategy. First responders and investigators commonly face challenges when trying to prevent drug abuse. Michael Dean Wilson age 38, Hot Springs, Arkansas sentenced October 13, 2021 to 110 months BOP, $100 special assessment, $1900 fine for Conspiracy to Distribute a Mixture or Substance Containing Methamphetamine. Mateo E. Solis , 26, with a listed residence in the 1200 block of North 33rd Street in Fort Smith, took a plea deal in open court on Friday and we'll have the 25 years added to his current sentence in the Arkansas Department of Corrections. Its another obstacle theyll have to overcome, but theyre motivated to overcome for sure, Coats said. Ive ran into a couple of people who have overdosed over the past few days, most of them accidentally, Mounts said. Adult (98%), white (93%), males (69%) constituted a majority of those arrested. Traye Everett Martin age 26, Fort Smith, Arkansas sentenced October 14, 2021 to 57 months BOP, $100 special assessment, $1,400 fine for Conspiracy to Distribute a Mixture or Substance Containing Methamphetamine. darden anniversary pay 2020; beowulf energy paul prager net worth; power county press police log; dave hakstol contract. how many kids does james brown have; broad college of business acceptance rate +91 99252 51980. edgewood ky soccer league. 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