A task force comprised of federal, state and local law enforcement officials conducted a sting operation on an international drug trafficking ring that transported drugs across the United States and Canada by way of Southern California.
Thirty search warrants were served across Los Angeles simultaneously as part of Operation Dead Hand , Los Angeles Police Department officials said, which led to 19 suspects being federally indicted in California.
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Since the start of Operation Dead Hand in 2022, authorities have seized 845 kilograms of methamphetamine, 951 kilograms of cocaine, 20 kilograms of fentanyl and four kilograms of heroin. A haul worth an estimated $16 million to $28 million in the U.S.
Traffickers, under the command of alleged kingpin and Canadian national Guramrit Sidhu, used a wide network of drug suppliers connected to Mexican cartels and even an associate of the Italian mafia in Montréal, according to U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Martin Estrada.