Cartel-linked Imperial Valley pharmaceutical network takes major blow

IMPERIAL — Law enforcement carried out a complex and coordinated elimination Wednesday morning of 47 suspected members of a valley-based drug trafficking network linked to the Sinaloa Cartel, in what authorities described as a devastating blow to drug trafficking in the Imperial Valley. June 5.

The culmination of this five-year investigation, which began with a single border drug seizure in 2019, resulted in the confiscation of more than 4 kilograms of fentanyl – the equivalent of nearly 2 million potentially lethal doses – as well as numerous untraceable firearms. significant quantities of cocaine and heroin, as well as more than 714 pounds of methamphetamine.

Among the notable arrests Wednesday morning was that of Alexander Bennet Grindley, a Brawley resident, who was arrested for allegedly trafficking methamphetamine while working as a U.S. Border Patrol agent.

During a news conference at the Imperial Valley Law Enforcement Coordination Center in Imperial Wednesday afternoon, U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath had strong words for citizens and criminals.

“This investigation took apart a drug trafficking network responsible for supplying dealers in communities across the region. But there is still a lot of work to be done. If you're a parent and the current price of fentanyl terrifies you, talk to your children about the dangers of drug use. If you are a drug addict and your dealer was arrested today, seek treatment. And if you are a reseller but your supplier was arrested today, pay attention: we will come for you next,” McGrath said.

More than 400 law enforcement officials from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol and local police departments collaborated to make 36 arrests and execute 25 search warrants in the county from Imperial, to San Diego, Fresno, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Salem. , Oregon. As of Wednesday afternoon, 11 fugitives were still at large.

“Today we brought down the federal hammer,” McGrath added.

The accused belonged to organizations linked to Sinaloa Fentanyl

Parents across the Valley can breathe a big sigh of relief after 2 million doses of fentanyl are taken off the streets; Imperial County is no stranger to opioid-related deaths, with 24 overdoses claiming lives in 2022, the most recent full year of available data.

The numbers don't lie: Fentanyl is a nationwide epidemic; in 2022, the annual mortality rate per 100,000 inhabitants had increased by 41% compared to 2021.

The increased availability of fentanyl is only part of the story. During this investigation, law enforcement discovered that the price of fentanyl pills being trafficked through the Imperial Valley had begun to drop significantly. This drop in prices is indicative of increased smuggling of fentanyl pills into the United States by the Sinaloa cartel.

As of June 2021, the targets of the Imperial Valley investigation were getting pills for around $1.75 each. Five months later, that price had fallen to $1.25. As of May 2024, the same pills were being sold for just 45 cents each, “meaning a lethal dose of fentanyl costs less than a bag of chips or a pack of gum,” McGrath said. This combination of low cost and availability is directly linked to the increase in opioid-related deaths.

The U.S. Department of Justice has focused on dismantling the drug rings responsible for the fentanyl crisis. McGrath reflected on the 2020 death of Josue M. Garcia Moreno, a 15-year-old Central Union High School football player, and assured that “since this high school student's death, our office has not only convicted this drug dealer, many more like him, but we continued to hunt down fentanyl distributors. We have meticulously dismantled drug networks and disrupted supply chains. Today's coordinated effort is another example of what federal and local law enforcement, along with the Department of Justice, are doing to combat the illicit drug trade, and specifically the crisis fentanyl.

After drug dealer Lorenzo Anthony Garcia was convicted in the case, former U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman said, “This case is a tragic reminder that a promising young life can be gone in an instant because of a single mistake with fentanyl.” . It is vitally important to hold the purveyors of this poison accountable, in order to achieve justice and closure for family members facing such loss.

Operation highlights need for collaboration between agencies

Through the combined efforts behind this investigation, 32 valley-based defendants were charged or apprehended, and the success of the operation was lauded at all levels.

In a statement, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas called the investigation a “multi-pronged, coordinated law enforcement approach – one that utilizes the full resources and capabilities of our government.”

This includes local law enforcement, who played a significant role in the operation. A routine traffic stop in 2021 by the Brawley Police Department ultimately led to the broader dismantling of this distribution network. “It takes an officer to pay attention and take that information and move it forward to where it needs to go,” Brawley Police Chief Jimmy Duran said.

“The success of this investigation demonstrates the confidence that the investigating officers placed in our patrol officers, who truly followed all the leads given to them. This type of teamwork and mutual support is what makes our law enforcement efforts in our county so effective and successful. The positive effects of this successful investigation will be felt throughout our city and throughout Imperial County,” Duran said.

Although fentanyl and other drugs remain a feature of life in the Valley, this law enforcement effort loosens the grip of these deadly substances on our communities. As Duran said, “By taking dangerous drugs off the streets and disrupting illegal activity, we are making our community safer for all residents. »