The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration announced the results of a year-long national operation, “Operation Last Mile,” targeting operatives, associates, and distributors affiliated with the Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels responsible for the last mile of fentanyl and methamphetamine distribution on our streets and on social media. The DEA operation led to over 100 arrests in Florida, along with major seizures of drugs and guns.
From May 1, 2022 through May 1, 2023, DEA’s Miami Field Division held a total of 71 investigations, leading to 108 arrests and the seizure of 548,006 fentanyl pills, 91 pounds of fentanyl powder, 317 pounds of methamphetamine, 514 firearms, and more than $5 million in assets. The fentanyl powder and pill seizures equate to over 2.6 million deadly doses of fentanyl removed from communities across Florida. Six of these cases involved social media platforms while 15 cases involved encrypted communication platforms.
“Illicit fentanyl, and other synthetic opioids, are responsible for nearly 70% of the drug overdose and poisoning deaths throughout our county. Over the last year, the Miami Field Division focused our resources on targeting the associates and distributors of the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels, who are responsible for bringing these deadly drugs, as well as drug violence and crime, into our communities,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “We remain committed to working with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to track down the individuals and groups distributing this poison in our Florida communities while continuing to spread awareness of this deadly threat to parents and families.”
Nationally, Operation Last Mile comprised 1,436 investigations conducted from May 1, 2022 through May 1, 2023, in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement partners, and resulted in 3,337 arrests and the seizure of nearly 44 million fentanyl pills, more than 6,500 pounds of fentanyl powder, more than 91,000 pounds of methamphetamine, 8,497 firearms, and more than $100 million. The fentanyl powder and pill seizures equate to nearly 193 million deadly doses of fentanyl removed from communities across the United States, which have prevented countless potential drug poisoning deaths. Among these investigations, more than 1,100 cases involved social media applications and encrypted communications platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Wire, and Wickr.
DEA’s top operational priority is to defeat the Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels – the two drug cartels based in Mexico that are responsible for the vast majority of the fentanyl and methamphetamine that is killing Americans. In Operation Last Mile, DEA tracked down distribution networks across the United States that are connected to the Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels. The Operation shows that the Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels use violent local street gangs and criminal groups and individuals across the United States to flood American communities with huge amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine, which drives addiction and violence and kills Americans. It also shows that the Cartels, their members, and their associates use social media applications and encrypted platforms to coordinate logistics and reach out to victims.
“The Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels use multi-city distribution networks, violent local street gangs, and individual dealers across the United States to flood American communities with fentanyl and methamphetamine, drive addiction, fuel violence, and kill Americans,” said Administrator Anne Milgram. “What is also alarming—American social media platforms are the means by which they do so. The Cartels use social media and encrypted platforms to run their operations and reach out to victims, and when their product kills Americans, they simply move on to try to victimize the millions of other Americans who are social media users.”
Operation Last Mile is an example of DEA’s network-based approach to take out Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartel members and associates in the United States and across the globe, stop fentanyl, and save American lives. In April 2023, the DEA and our federal partners announced the indictment of 28 members and associates of the Sinaloa Cartel operating in Mexico, China, and Central America, including the leaders of the Cartel known as the “Chapitos.”
If you are aware of controlled substance violations in your community, submit your anonymous tip through the DEA online Tip Line.
