{"id":2104458,"date":"2023-11-20T20:56:02","date_gmt":"2023-11-21T01:56:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-uncovers-cross-country-fentanyl-distribution-network\/"},"modified":"2023-11-20T21:02:47","modified_gmt":"2023-11-21T02:02:47","slug":"doj-uncovers-cross-country-fentanyl-distribution-network","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-uncovers-cross-country-fentanyl-distribution-network\/","title":{"rendered":"DOJ Uncovers Cross-Country Fentanyl Distribution Network"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">12<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdoj-uncovers-cross-country-fentanyl-distribution-network%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2104458&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">These images\u2064 of actual legitimate and\u2062 counterfeit pills are examples and do not represent the many \u200cvariations of counterfeit \u200bpills. Never trust your\u2063 own eyes to determine if a pill is legitimate. The \u2064only \u200cway to be sure \u2062is if it was dispensed by\u2064 a licensed medical professional.\u200d (DEA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>OAN\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oann.com\/tag\/taylor-tinsley\">Taylor\u200c Tinsley<\/a><br \/>5:50 PM \u2013 Monday, November 20, 2023<\/h2>\n<p>The \u200cDepartment of Justice \u200dhas charged nearly two dozen people in a large-scale \u200dfentanyl trafficking conspiracy.<\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1663871513696-art-3\" style=\"min-width: 320px; min-height: 50px; text-align: center;\">  \t<script>  \t\tgoogletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1663871513696-art-3'); });  \t<\/script>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"ad-slot__ad-label\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, DOJ officials announced the fourth <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-dc\/pr\/superseding-indictment-adds-13-defendants-fentanyl-distribution-conspiracy-spanning\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">superseding indictment<\/a> \u2062in the \u200bcase \u2064that charges\u200d 23 alleged members of a fentanyl distribution network responsible for bringing hundreds of \u200cthousands\u2062 of fake pills \u200cresembling oxycodone from California to Washington DC.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cIn \u2064this case alone we\u200c have seized to date over 20 kilograms\u2064 of fentanyl powder\u200c and approximately\u2063 a quarter million pills,\u201d\u200d said U.S. Attorney Matthew \u200bGraves.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The multi-state \u2063operation kicked off in April of 2021, after\u2063 DC resident Diamond Lynch relapsed and reached\u2064 out to\u200d her old supplier. She was\u2064 given a fake pill \u2064and overdosed. <\/p>\n<p>Officials from \u200dboth the DOJ \u200dand Drug Enforcement Administration continue to\u200b emphasize that\u200b <strong>\u201cone pill can kill.\u201d<\/strong> Her dealer has since been\u2064 convicted and sentenced\u200d to 140 months in federal prison.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cOur prosecutors\u200c and \u200blaw enforcement partners \u2064followed \u200bthe evidence, we expanded our investigation and identified each wrong of this fentanyl supply network and have charged 26 \u200ddefendants to date,\u201d Graves said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>DEA administrator Anne Milgram said \u2064the distribution conspiracy started with pills sourced from Mexico, but the network wouldn\u2019t have been possible without Instagram.<\/p>\n<p>Milgram said almost every single defendant \u200dused\u2062 the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/businessman-kevin-oleary-defends-free-speech-online\/\" title=\"Businessman Kevin O\u2019Leary defends free speech online\">social media platform<\/a> to find sources of\u2062 supply, \u200bnew avenues of distribution, the amount\u2062 of \u2063pills they were ordering, coordinating shipments and more.<\/p>\n<p>The DEA administrator said they were\u2064 allowed to investigate the \u200ddirect messages through search warrants. However, she said this line \u200dof work could become even more \u200cdifficult to prevent \u2064in future cases if social media companies \u2062 <strong>\u201cimplement warrant\u2064 proof end \u2064to end encryption,\u201d<\/strong> \u2062 which turns a\u2063 blind eye \u2062to criminals who run operations through their platform.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cMeta, the \u2063company that owns Instagram, announced this past August that it intends to \u2064do just that,\u201d Milgram\u200d said. <strong>\u201cThis is the unprecedented threat that we are dealing with and it is\u200b the reason\u200c why 110,757 Americans\u200d died from drug poisoning in the\u200b year 2022.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Milgram echoed \u200bthe DEA\u2019s vow to leave\u200d no stone unturned. She promised to\u2063 follow \u200dmore leads but affirmed <strong>\u201cwe all\u2063 need\u200b to do more\u201d<\/strong> to end the fentanyl crisis.<\/p>\n<p>Stay \u200cinformed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your\u2062 inbox for free. \u2063Subscribe here. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oann.com\/alerts\">https:\/\/www.oann.com\/alerts<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"rc-widget-10bad2\" data-rc-widget data-widget-host=\"habitat\" data-endpoint=\"\/\/trends.revcontent.com\" data-widget-id=\"278641\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"dpsp-share-text\" style=\"margin-bottom:10px\"> \t\t<strong>Share\u200d this post!<\/strong>\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Javier Milei wins Argentina\u2019s Presidential\u200c Election, Elon \u200dMusk \u2064takes on Media Matters and Joe Biden is \u200c81 years young.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Special Counsel Robert Hur \u2063is \u2063reportedly *not going\u200c to charge President Joe Biden in\u2064 his \u2062classified \u200ddocument case.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>The D.C. Circuit Court Of Appeals Hears Oral Arguments Regarding\u200c The Temporarily Suspended Trump Gag \u2063Order.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Joe Biden\u00a0pardons this years turkeys,\u00a0Liberty and Bell, on his \u2064birthday,\u00a0carrying out a decades\u2063 long\u00a0White House tradition<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Social \u200dmedia company X CEO Linda Yaccarino told \u2063employees \u200cthat \u2064 <strong>\u201cdata will tell the real\u200b story\u201d<\/strong> \u2062 about\u200d its\u200b efforts \u200dto battle antisemitism.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Microsoft emerged on Monday as\u200c the big\u2062 winner\u2063 of the upheaval at \u200bOpenAI, hiring ousted\u2062 CEO \u200dSam Altman and other key staff of \u200bthe \u200dstartup.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>OpenAI named ex-Twitch \u2062boss Emmett Shear \u2062as interim CEO, while\u200c outgoing \u200cchief Sam \u200cAltman is set\u2062 to join backer Microsoft in\u200d a \u200dsurprise turn of events \u2062for\u2063 the\u200b startup.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>OpenAI\u2019s staff has threatened to quit the AI startup and join former boss Sam Altman at \u200dMicrosoft\u2019s new \u2064division unless the board resigns.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> rnrn  <\/p>\n<h2> How many individuals were charged by the Department\u200c of Justice in the large-scale fentanyl trafficking conspiracy?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Title: \u200cDepartment of Justice Charges Nearly Two Dozen in Large-Scale Fentanyl Trafficking Conspiracy<\/p>\n<p>Introduction<\/p>\n<p>The Department of Justice (DOJ) has recently made significant strides in combating the fentanyl crisis\u2062 by charging nearly two dozen individuals involved in a large-scale fentanyl trafficking conspiracy. This article highlights the details of \u200cthe case, emphasizing \u200dthe dangers\u200c associated with counterfeit pills\u2062 and the role of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-new-acting-attorney-general-jeff-rosen-recently-wrote-an-essay-on-foreign-influence-in-us-elections-this-tells-us-a-little-about-his-knowledge-of-whats-going-on-today\/\" title=\"The New Acting Attorney General Jeff Rosen Recently Wrote an Essay on Foreign Influence in US Elections \u2013 This Tells Us A Little About His Knowledge of What\u2019s Going On Today\">social media platforms<\/a> in facilitating illicit \u200cdrug distribution.<\/p>\n<p>Details of the\u200d Case<\/p>\n<p>According to the DOJ, the superseding indictment, unveiled on Monday, identifies \u200cand charges 23 alleged members of a fentanyl distribution network that \u200btransported thousands of\u2063 fake pills resembling oxycodone from California \u2062to Washington DC. These fake pills, which were found to contain deadly amounts of fentanyl, pose a severe risk \u2063to public \u200dhealth and safety.<\/p>\n<p>Quantities \u2062Seized<\/p>\n<p>U.S.\u200d Attorney Matthew Graves \u200cannounced that law enforcement authorities have seized over\u2063 20 kilograms of fentanyl \u2063powder and approximately a quarter million pills thus far in connection with this case. These substantial quantities underscore \u200cthe scale and magnitude of the fentanyl crisis facing the nation.<\/p>\n<p>Impact on the Community<\/p>\n<p>The investigation into\u200d this fentanyl distribution network commenced in\u200d April of 2021 after a DC resident, Diamond Lynch, relapsed and obtained a\u2062 fake pill \u200bfrom her previous supplier, resulting in a near-fatal overdose. Since\u2062 then, Lynch&#8217;s dealer has been convicted and sentenced to 140 months in federal prison.<\/p>\n<p>Prosecution Efforts<\/p>\n<p>U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves highlighted the extensive efforts made by prosecutors and law enforcement partners to identify and\u2062 charge all individuals connected to this fentanyl supply network. To date, 26 defendants have been charged, reflecting the\u2063 commitment to bring all \u200bwrongdoers to justice.<\/p>\n<p>Role of Social Media Platforms<\/p>\n<p>DEA administrator Anne\u2064 Milgram emphasized the pivotal role that social media, specifically Instagram, played \u2063in the operation of this distribution network. Most, if not all, of the defendants relied \u2063on the platform for sourcing supplies, coordinating shipments, and expanding their distribution networks. It is crucial to note that law enforcement&#8217;s ability to access direct\u200d messages through search warrants aided in this investigation. However, Milgram warned that future \u2063cases may become\u200b significantly more challenging to prevent if social media companies implement &#8220;warrant-proof end-to-end encryption,&#8221; potentially enabling criminals to operate with impunity.<\/p>\n<p>Meta&#8217;s Announcement and the Fentanyl Crisis<\/p>\n<p>Notably, Milgram mentioned Meta, the company that owns Instagram,\u200c announced its intention to implement such encryption measures. This development\u200d poses an unprecedented threat to law enforcement in combating drug \u2063trafficking. Milgram connected the dire consequences of the fentanyl crisis, which claimed\u2064 the lives of 110,757 Americans in 2022, to \u200dthe need for continued vigilance\u200b and collective action.<\/p>\n<p>Conclusion<\/p>\n<p>The DOJ&#8217;s recent charges against nearly two dozen individuals involved in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-uncovers-cross-country-fentanyl-distribution-network\/\" title=\"DOJ Uncovers Cross-Country Fentanyl Distribution Network\">large-scale fentanyl trafficking conspiracy demonstrate<\/a> the government&#8217;s dedication to combating the fentanyl crisis.\u2063 The dangers \u200dassociated with counterfeit pills and the crucial role of social media platforms in drug distribution have also\u200c been underscored. It is imperative for both law enforcement agencies and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-republicans-reject-democratic-pressure-to-disinvite-rfk-jr-from-testifying-on-censorship\/\" title=\"House Republicans refuse to bow to Democratic pressure, stand firm on RFK Jr.'s testimony on censorship.\">social media \u200ccompanies<\/a> to work together to find a balance between \u2064privacy and public safety in order to prevent future tragedies caused\u200d by deadly substances like fentanyl.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>These images of actual legitimate and counterfeit pills are examples and do not represent the many variations of counterfeit pills. Never trust your own eyes to determine if a pill is legitimate. The only way to be sure is if it was dispensed by a licensed medical professional. (DEA) OAN\u2019s\u00a0Taylor Tinsley 5:50 PM \u2013 Monday<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1209,"featured_media":2104459,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[542],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2104458","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-oann"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2104458","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1209"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2104458"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2104458\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2104459"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2104458"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2104458"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2104458"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}