An international drug trafficking ring involving narcotics brokers in the Los Angeles area was taken down by a multi-agency investigation called Operation Dead Hand, the FBI said.
According to United States Attorney Martin Estrada, the group of alleged criminals sophisticatedly coordinated the trafficking of hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamines, cocaine and fentanyl, using three international bases: Mexico, where drug cartels supplied the substances, Los Angeles, where brokers distributed the drugs, and Canada, from which truck drivers were dispatched to pick up the drugs in Southern California.
Estrada added even an associate of an Italian mafia based in Canada was involved in the illicit business.
"What united all of these invidivuals was greed," Estrada said. "The fact that they made their money by trafficking in poision didn't matter to them. All that mattered was their bottom line."
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
Among the two indictments unsealed Tuesday, one involved 60-year-old Guramrit Sidhu, a Canadian national, who allegedly purchased hundreds of kilograms of drugs, including methamphetamine and cocaine. The FBI believes Sidhu, also known as "King" among his associates, hired a network of truck drivers to transport the drugs from LA and move them across the Canadian border.
Overall, authorities seized 845 kilograms of methamphetamine, 951 kilograms of cocaine, 20 kilograms of fentanyl and 4 kilograms of heroin, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Authorities estimated the wholesale value of the seized narcotics to be up to $28 million.
The LAPD also served 30 search warrants in the LA area to support the operation, said LAPD Assistant Chief Blake Chow.
While the law enforcement agencies who took part in the operations may be in different locations and countries, they all shared the same concern: drug trafficking organizations are becoming better at circumventing detection and intervention by law enforcement.
"The reach and influence of criminal organizations continue to expand across and beyond our southwest and norther borders, " said Cheryl M. Davies, the LA field operations director of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. "These criminal organizations are sophisticated and operate with immense capabilities and capacities with seemingly limitless resources."
Since Operation Dead Hand started, 12 suspects were taken into custody while seven others are still on the run.
