‘Staggering’: Feds Seize Hundreds Of Thousands Of Meth-Laced Fake Pills In Record-Setting Drug Bust | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: This post appears here courtesy of the The Daily Wire. The author of this post is John Rigolizzo.

    Federal agents in Rhode Island seized hundreds of thousands of methamphetamine pills in a record-breaking bust.

    In an announcement Monday, the Department of Justice and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said that agents seized more than 660,000 counterfeit Adderall pills laced with methamphetamine, the largest such seizure on record. The pills, which weighed more than 660 pounds, had an estimated street value of $4.6 million, officials said. The bust was originally conducted in March.

    "We believe this to be the single largest seizure of fake Adderall pills in the United States, as well as among the largest seizures of methamphetamine in DEA New England Field Division history," Zachary A. Cunha, U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island, said in remarks Monday. "The quantity of methamphetamine represented by this seizure - methamphetamine that was packaged, prepped, and ready to flow out onto the street, to devastating effect in our communities - is staggering."

    According to Cunha, the bust was part of an ongoing investigation. The Boston Globe added, citing a plea agreement filed in federal court Monday, that the investigation involved a confidential source who provided information to the DEA that the suspect was supplying counterfeit pills laced with methamphetamine. The source reportedly informed the DEA that the suspect produced and sold "thousands" of counterfeit pills, and often gave them without charge for a promise to pay later. The source then worked with the agency to purchase the pills from the suspect, which led to agents executing search warrants at two locations in Cumberland, Rhode Island.

    Along with the pills, agents seized two motorized pill presses; DEA New England Field Division Special Agent in Charge Brian Boyle said, via the Boston Globe, that the presses could produce approximately 10,000 pills per hour. Agents also seized a bucket containing about 40 pounds of methamphetamine mixture ready to be pressed into pill form. They also seized:

• 1500 pills laced with fentanyl
• 11 kilograms of methamphetamine powder
• 250 grams of crack cocaine
• $15,000 cash, and
• Seven handguns, including two so-called "ghost guns," and two more guns with destroyed serial numbers

    Boyle said that the methamphetamine likely came from Mexican drug cartels, and that the suspect was likely a low-level dealer. "The Mexican cartels are producing meth at record rates," he said. The suspect does not have any previous federal charges, but was charged with burglary for an armed home invasion when he was 18.

    The suspect was charged with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. The charge carries a minimum sentence of ten years in prison; under the terms of the plea agreement, the suspect will serve at least the minimum sentence, Cunha said.

    Cunha also said that Rhode Island, and New England more broadly, are experiencing a worsening trend of meth and other drugs. Opioids like fentanyl killed 435 people in Rhode Island alone last year. Across the country, more than 100,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2021, a record number, The Daily Wire reported in May. Of those deaths, 64% came from opioids, while another 28% came from stimulants like methamphetamine, Cunha said.

    The U.S. attorney closed his remarks with a warning about counterfeit pills. "Pills that contain these drugs ... don't come stamped with the label 'fentanyl' or 'meth,'" said Cunha. "They are ... deliberately made to look like something else- whether its Adderall®, or Percocet®, or some other drug that the buyer may think is safe and what it appears to be."

    "If you, or a loved one, are buying or taking pills ... from anywhere that is not a pharmacy or a physician, the odds are that it's not what you think," he added. "And if whatever you get is laced with fentanyl, that pill may be the last thing you take- that's not hyperbole- it's a grim truth."

poll#162

In what may be the most divisive period in modern American History, even more divisive than the turbulent sixties due to today's lack of patriotism, consider what are the major catalysts causing so much of this calamity of conflict, and vote: What most instigates the division of America, on this day September 20, 2022?

  Racism within our society

  Sex realignment to the detriment of our society.

  Biden /Harris Wide Open Southern Border Policy for the Demographic Upheaval of OUR Constitutional Republic

  Rampant Crime in Democratic controlled cities, and the possible contagion elsewhere

  Covid Pandemic, and its mishandling at the political, and bureaucratic levels.

  The unresolved questions /allegation regarding the flawed 2020 General Election

  January 6th Riot or "Armed Insurrection", depending upon patriotic perspective

  Joe Biden as Divisive Leader; Ineffective and Corrupt Executive

  Failed Education Industry, from an overall perspective, regarding all levels of education.

  Propagandistic Media in complete conflict with the First Amendment's guarantee of Freedom of Speech, and the awesome responsibility of a Free Press..

  "Orangeman Bad!"

  Bureaucracy rushing to a behemoth size, its unjustified expense, and far too often overreach.

  The Weaponized Deep State for political purposes

  A secular ambivalence to all that is real.

  Record number of overdose deaths from opioids and now Fentanyl

  Biden Administration's disastrous Foreign Policy

  Bidenflation /supply chain failure inevitably evolving into stagflation and recession.

  "Ultra MAGA Extremists" freely speaking louder AND LOUDER!

927 total vote(s)     What's your Opinion?

poll#154

Inarguably, the policies of the Democrats in congress and Joe Biden as the Executive is plunging the United States into a recession, if we are not already there; a recession that was completely avoidable. Will abrupt changes in policies occur in time?

  Yes, the Democrats have a bold plan, yet to be revealed, to save us.

  No, there will have to be a complete undoing of the damage done by these Democrats.

  I can't do simple math, so how am I to understand the concept of basic economics.

1,216 total vote(s)     What's your Opinion?