US seizes 400 kg of fentanyl in record-breaking operation

United States authorities person dealt what Attorney General Pam Bondi called “a important stroke against the Sinaloa Cartel,” seizing a “record-breaking” quantity of fentanyl and arresting 16 people, including an alleged transgression person from Mexico, successful a “record-shattering” cognition crossed 5 U.S. states.

Bondi and different U.S. officials, including the acting head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Robert Murphy, announced the “largest fentanyl bust successful DEA history” connected Tuesday, the effect of a six-month-long investigation. More than 400 kilograms of the almighty synthetic opioid were seized, including 396 kilograms of fentanyl pills (2.7 cardinal pills) successful Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Among the 16 radical arrested during the multi-agency DEA-led cognition carried retired successful New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Arizona and Nevada was Heriberto Salazar Amaya, a Mexican nationalist and alleged person of a cause trafficking enactment affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel. Bondi told a property league connected Tuesday that helium was detained successful Salem, Oregon.

Ryan Ellison, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, said that Salazar, 36, is an “illegal alien from Mexico with 2 anterior removals and nonstop ties to the Mexican cartel.”

However, “court documents, including a question by prosecutors to detain Salazar Amaya earlier trial, bash not allege a transportation to the [Sinaloa] cartel,” Reuters reported.

Bondi said that the “historic cause seizure, led by the DEA, is simply a important stroke against the Sinaloa Cartel that removes poison from our streets and protects American citizens from the scourge of fentanyl.”

Attorney General of the United States Pamela Bondi described the cognition arsenic “a important stroke against the Sinaloa Cartel.” (@DEAHQ/X)

She besides said that the cause seizure and arrests “marks the astir important triumph successful our nation’s combat against fentanyl and cause trafficking to date.”

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum acknowledged the fentanyl seizure successful the United States astatine her Wednesday greeting property conference, calling it “very significant.”

“They nexus it to a transgression radical from Mexico but it fundamentally besides has to bash with United States nationals connected the different broadside of the border,” she said.

Ten of the 16 radical arrested successful transportation with the record-breaking fentanyl bust successful what the DEA called a “record-shattering operation” are U.S. citizens.

United States President Donald Trump has made stopping the introduction of fentanyl to the U.S. from Mexico a cardinal precedence for his administration. In aboriginal March, helium concisely imposed 25% tariffs connected each imports from Mexico arsenic helium sought to unit the Mexican authorities to bash much to halt the northward travel of the opioid, the main operator of an overdose situation successful the United States successful caller years. Tariffs connected non-USMCA compliant Mexican goods stay successful effect.

In February, Trump’s menace to enforce broad tariffs connected imports from Mexico led Sheinbaum to deploy 10,000 National Guard troops to the bluish borderline region.

‘One of the largest and astir unsafe fentanyl organizations successful US history’

In a statement, the DEA noted that cash, firearms and vehicles were besides seized successful the cognition that resulted successful the arrests of 16 radical and confiscation of “record-breaking quantities of fentanyl,” a cause made by cartels successful Mexico with precursor chemicals smuggled into the state from Asia, predominantly China.

The DEA said that the cognition dismantled “one of the largest and astir unsafe cause trafficking organizations successful U.S. history.”

#ICYMI our bureau present holds the DEA grounds for the largest fentanyl pill seizure.https://t.co/ik4jMzIpqK pic.twitter.com/0YmhESftg0

— DEAABQ (@DEAAbq) May 6, 2025

The cause seizures and arrests occurred successful precocious April erstwhile the DEA executed hunt warrants astatine addresses successful 5 U.S. states.

• In Albuquerque, DEA agents seized 396 kilograms of fentanyl pills, 11.5 kilograms of fentanyl powder, smaller quantities of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine, 49 firearms, astir US $610,000 successful currency and 2 vehicles.
• DEA agents besides raided addresses successful Salem, Oregon, and Layton, Utah, wherever a full of $3.58 cardinal successful U.S. cash, jewelry valued astatine astir $50,000 and vehicles were seized.
• Properties successful Phoenix, Arizona, and Las Vegas, Nevada, were besides raided. Close to $500,000 successful currency was seized arsenic good arsenic narcotics, including 13 kilograms of fentanyl pills successful Phoenix. The DEA said that an “illegal alien” was “apprehended and removed” successful Las Vegas, but didn’t authorities the person’s nationality.

All told, 420.5 kilograms of fentanyl (including much than 3 cardinal pills), with a thoroughfare worth of implicit $80 million, was seized.

“Behind the 3 cardinal fentanyl pills we seized are destructive transgression acts thwarted, and American lives saved. This wasn’t conscionable a bust — it was a battlefield triumph against a terrorist-backed web pumping decease into our cities,” said Murphy, the acting DEA administrator.

His “terrorist-backed network” remark refers to the United States’ caller designation of the Sinaloa Cartel and 5 different Mexican cartels arsenic overseas violent organizations.

Bondi does not enactment deportation of suspects to Mexico 

The 16 radical detained successful transportation with the monolithic cause bust look charges that see conspiracy to administer fentanyl and firearms offenses. Two women, U.S. citizens Kaitlin Young and Roberta Herrera, were among those arrested.

Fourteen of the 16 defendants were charged unneurotic successful national tribunal successful New Mexico.

In summation to a fentanyl-related charge, Salazar Amaya “faces 3 further immigration-related charges: amerciable reentry aft deportation, hiring an unauthorized alien, and conspiracy to harbor unauthorized aliens,” the DEA said.

Bondi said that Salazar was 1 of six suspects arrested who was surviving successful the United States illegally, but didn’t uncover their nationalities. Asked whether immoderate of the defendants would beryllium deported to Mexico, the lawyer wide said she wanted them “to enactment successful our prisons arsenic agelong arsenic possible.”

“… Sending them backmost to Mexico to proceed connected with their cause concern isn’t going to hap nether this administration,” Bondi said.

With reports from CBS News, Reuters, López-Dóriga Digital, Reforma and El Universal