DEA Arrests Over 600 in Major Sinaloa Cartel Crackdown

Washington, D.C. — A nationwide crackdown on the Sinaloa Cartel has led to more than 600 arrests across the United States, federal officials announced Monday.

From August 25 to 29, agents arrested 617 individuals connected to the cartel in a week-long operation, targeting one of the world’s most powerful drug trafficking organizations. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) described this enforcement action as a surge aimed at dismantling the cartel’s operations.

According to the DEA, the operation seized a staggering amount of drugs, firearms, and cash, including 480 kilograms of fentanyl powder, 2,209 kilograms of methamphetamine, 7,469 kilograms of cocaine, 16.5 kilograms of heroin, over 714,000 counterfeit pills, 420 firearms, and $11 million in cash. “These results demonstrate the full weight of DEA’s commitment to protecting the American people,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole in a statement. “Every kilogram of poison seized, every dollar stripped from the cartels, and every arrest we make represents lives saved and communities defended.”

In New England alone, officials arrested 171 suspected cartel members, seizing 244 kilograms of drugs, 22,115 counterfeit pills, and 33 guns. The arrest totals included 64 suspects in Connecticut, 49 in Massachusetts, 33 in New Hampshire, 11 in Maine, 10 in Rhode Island, and three in Vermont. “They’re our public enemy number one in New England,” said Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s New England Division.

One significant arrest took place in Franklin, New Hampshire, on August 27, where 27 individuals were taken into custody following a three-month investigation. Authorities stated that the suspects had been trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine from Lawrence, Massachusetts.

The operation highlighted the Sinaloa Cartel’s extensive reach into both urban and rural communities. “This shows that the Sinaloa Cartel’s tentacles spread far and deep; no community is spared,” said Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the Louisville Division.

For more information, Fox News Digital attempted to contact the Drug Enforcement Administration for further comment.