Nine residents of Southern California have been indicted in connection with a major drug trafficking operation. The indictments, unsealed Tuesday in Los Angeles, are part of a crackdown on an organized crime ring suspected of importing large quantities of narcotics from Mexico through Los Angeles for distribution across the United States and export to Canada.
The two federal grand jury indictments collectively charge 19 defendants, including alleged importers, distributors, truck drivers, and large-scale buyers, with roles in the operation. According to Donald Alway, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, this action represents a significant pushback against organized crime.
Investigators revealed that the ring involved Canadian handlers and dispatchers who coordinated the pickup and delivery of cocaine and methamphetamine in Los Angeles. These drugs were then transported to Canada using long-haul semi-trucks, crossing borders through the Detroit Windsor Tunnel, the Buffalo Peace Bridge, and the Blue Water Bridge.