Missouri ranked 32nd among all states and DC for drug overdose death rates in 2020 and is the #1 leading cause of death among adults age 18-44 in Missouri. Theres 455 grams per pound and a dose of meth is just a quarter of gram. But the Task Force discovered nearly $12 million worth of methamphetamine during a single search last fall as that record-setting day led to what would be a record-setting year in 2019with $30.4 million in illegal substances confiscated or purchased in controlled buys. COMBAT Director Vince Ortega emphasizes most of those drugs were seized before they could be distributed on the streets, which is when we would see the surge in violence associated with drug trafficking. Therefore, he says the COMBAT-funded Drug Task Force is very much an anti-violence task force too. MORE, December 13, 2019County Drug Task Force 'Striking' At Criminals Crossing State Lines The COMBAT-funded Jackson County Drug Task Force has joined a federally-formed Strike Force that will pursue drug traffickers and violent criminals who crisscross Greater Kansas Citys state line. 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Task Force Officer-In-Charge Dan Cummings believes the meththe largest amount the Task Force has ever recovered at one timewas probably within a day of being distributed for sale throughout the metropolitan area. While responding, deputies spotted evidence of illegal drugs in plain view. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. Thats why the Jackson County Drug Task Forces seizure of 3,000 pills stamped as OxyContin but laced with fentanyl almost certainly saved livesand sounded alarms. (He keeps the idol shown here in his office as a souvenir. 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Marshals Service, the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department and the Independence, Missouri, Police Department. Have a question about Government Services? Theyre checking up on him. Have a question about Government Services? The drug remains a stubborn scourge in southwest Missouri, according to Tim Garrison, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri. Several of the defendants had been stopped by law enforcement officers in the past with drugs and firearms on them. St. Louis drug trafficking leader pleads guilty Drug Enforcement Administration Michael A. Davis Special Agent in Charge St. Louis July 09, 2020 Contact: Andree Swanson Phone Number: (571) 362-5149 For Immediate Release St. Louis drug trafficking leader pleads guilty Seizures included cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and $2 million ST. When it was completed, multiple indictments were made as the case illustrated the reach of Mexican cartels into Jackson County and beyond. MORE, June 11, 2019'Demand' For Meth Remains High In Jackson CountyEach year throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s, the Jackson County Drug Task Force and other law enforcement agencies would shut down dozens of meth labssometimes more than 100 labs in a single year. Project Safe Neighborhoods Nothing? The Department of Justice announced the arrest of 25 people in Kansas City, Missouri, in connection to an armed and violent drug trafficking organization. Missouri State Highway Patrol Troopers stopped a car and it turned into a big drug bust. Nine large baggies filled with cash, a half-dozen weapons, a bulletproof vest and a police scanner were taken by police "after a lengthy narcotics investigation . In addition, some applications and/or services may not work as expected when translated. Hannibal Police arrest six people in drug busts by KHQA Staff December 17th 2020, 10:56 AM PST Two Hannibal residents, Amanda Fugate, 37, and Christopher Davis, 31, are both charged with methamphetamine distribution and unlawful use of drug paraphernalia. In addition to the two conspiracy counts, Alihodzic is also charged with two counts of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, illegally possessing a machine gun, two counts of possessing a stolen firearm, possessing an unregistered firearm, possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number, and three counts related to distributing methamphetamine. The Jackson County Drug Task Force was formed in the mid-1980s to bring together detectives from the countys various police departments and Sheriffs Office to pursue drug dealers across these legal jurisdictions in a coordinated, concentrated and collaborative fashion. The Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) Troop C is celebrating one of their K-9s who helped remove illegal drugs on I-44 in Franklin County Tuesday. Official websites use .gov A lock ( The criminals running these cartels think of themselves as being CEOsentrepreneurs, captains of industry, innovators. Ortega allegedly was also in possession of a Ruger .22-caliber rifle, two Marlin .22-caliber rifles, and two Browning .22-caliber pistols on June 21, 2019. The Missouri Narcotic Officers Association has named the Jackson County Drug Task Force the Law Enforcement Unit Of The Year four times in the last eight years. LEXINGTON, Mo. The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. With several of their cases having roots that trace back to Mexican cartels, the Task Force confiscated more than $16 million in illegal drugs last year. MORE. The Jackson County Drug Task Force, comprised of detectives from 12 local police departments and the Sheriffs Office, often collaborates with federal authorities on cases involving international drug trafficking cartels seeking to sell methamphetamine, heroin and other dangerous drugs in our community. MORE, October 13, 2021Counterfeit PillsWidely Available & More Lethal Prescription pills not obtained from a licensed pharmacy are not only illegal to possess, but when taken can also be dangerous. The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Updated: Dec 8, 2020 / 03:23 PM CST. The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. Fax Line:(816) 426-4210. On Nov. 5, 2019 the day of the trip Alihodzic and the confidential source went inside Alihodzics residence. Additional items are still being logged into evidence. That indictment was unsealed and made public today upon the arrests and initial court appearances of Hicks, Ortega, Griffin, Cooper, and Ross. In addition to the criminal conspiracy, Hicks is charged with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute in Howell County and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. An official website of the United States government. The arrests happened Monday in the area of Ivey Lane. The subjects also had a loaded pistol in the passenger area of the vehicle. U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Missouri, 17 Defendants Indicted for $10 Million Conspiracy to Distribute 1,000 Kilos of Meth, KC Man Charged with Drug Trafficking, Illegal Firearm After Arrest During Police Standoff, Joplin, Webb City Man Indicted for Drug Trafficking, Illegal Firearms, KC Man Sentenced to 21 Years for Heroin, Cocaine Conspiracy, 17 Defendants Indicted For $10 Million Conspiracy To Distribute 1,000 Kilos of Meth. Breaking down drug overdose deaths by drug type can sometimes be complicated as many times more than one drug may be identified, however, most drug overdose deaths (over 70%) do involve opioids. Mo. Attorneys for federal prosecution. by: Staff Writer. The operation included officers from the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. The federal indictment alleges that all of the defendants participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Sept. 1, 2018, to Nov. 5, 2019. TEXAS COUNTY, Mo. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. KANSAS CITY, Mo. Neither the State of Missouri nor its employees accept liability for any inaccuracies or errors in the translation or liability for any loss, damage, or other problem, Alihodzic was also involved in a shooting on July 5, 2019, in the area of 6th Street and Tracy Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri, according to the affidavit. Cummings, representing the Independence Police Department, was among the first detectives assigned to the Jackson County Drug Task Force in the mid-1980s. Methamphetamine the Task Force confiscated in one search earlier this spring, He asks, Should we just give up fighting and trying to make drugs as limited as possible? Griffin also is charged with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute in Howell County, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department seized a large amount of cash and weapons in a drug bust in south St. Louis, Thursday. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Xiaozheng Liu, 35, and Huanzhi Ye, 51, are charged with first-degree and second-degree trafficking, the delivery of a controlled substance, and possession of a controlled substance. The mid-1980s Alihodzic and the Independence Police Department also had a loaded pistol in the.. In southwest Missouri, Police Department and the Independence Police Department, among... Also had a loaded pistol in the area of the defendants had been stopped law! From that location be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or.! 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