COLORADO SPRINGS — The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Monday that a large drug trafficking organization has been taken down in Colorado Springs.
Included in the operation were members of the Colorado Springs Police Department, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office and the FBI.
According to the DOJ, 14 people were arrested and charged with illegal drug distribution and firearm crimes that took place in Colorado Springs. Methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, cash, and firearms were also seized in addition to the arrests.
The DOJ said the operation began in 2018 when detectives with the Colorado Springs Metro Vice, Narcotics, and Intelligence Division started an investigation into individuals distributing illegal drugs to people at various bars and nightclubs in downtown Colorado Springs and unincorporated parts of El Paso County. Due to the size and scope of the investigation, the CSPD detectives requested the assistance of the FBI Southern Colorado Safe Streets Task Force.
“This investigation proves that when it comes to stopping major drug trafficking in Colorado, great federal-state partnerships make great cases,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. “The Colorado Springs Police Department, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI did terrific work and the results speak for themselves.”
According to the DOJ, the following items were seized during the investigation.
· Approximately 70 pounds of methamphetamine
· Approximately 15 pounds of heroin
· Approximately 4 pounds of cocaine
· Approximately 3,100 fentanyl pills
· Approximately $140,000.00 in US currency
· 29 Firearms (including: semi -automatic handguns, assault rifles and shotguns)
The arrests made during the operation included the following:
United States v. Jesse Santiago Anaya et al (19-cr-234-PAB) (4 defendants)
o 1,413 grams of methamphetamine
o 263.2 grams of cocaine
o 89.3 grams of heroin
o 13 guns
United States v. Missael Leyva Castro (19-cr-172-CMA) (1 defendant)
o 3,703 grams of methamphetamine
o 210 grams of heroin
o 1 gun
United States v. Cristian Diaz De Leon Beltran (19-cr-071-RM) (1 defendant)
o 1,764 grams of heroin
o 5,868 grams of methamphetamine
o 1 gun
United States v. Maria Ruiz Del Carmen Gutierrez et al (19-cr-236-REB) (3 defendants)
o 12,431 grams of methamphetamine;
o 2,796 grams of heroin;
o 1,097.4 grams of cocaine
o 8 guns
United States v. Fabian Perales (19-cr-053-RBJ) (1 defendant)
o 3,113 grams of methamphetamine
o 1,470 grams of heroin
o 3,234 tablets of fentanyl (approximately 330.838 grams) (1 defendant)
United States v. Jeff Skelton (19-cr-030-WJM)
o 1,909 grams of methamphetamine
United States v. Octavio Solis-Garcia (19-cr-103-WJM) (1 defendant)
o 70 grams of cocaine
o 2 guns
United States v. Daniel James Ingham (19-cr-175-WYD) (1 defendant)
o 20 grams of heroin
o 1 gun
