(ReclaimingAmerica.net) – Busting a sophisticated counterfeit pill operation that flooded the region with dangerous fake prescription drugs, federal agents have dealt a massive blow to the drug trade in New England.
This landmark seizure exposes the ongoing threat of illegal immigration and foreign influence in America’s drug crisis, as the criminal network sourced materials from China to poison American communities.
In the sweeping operation, federal law enforcement arrested seven individuals involved in manufacturing and distributing counterfeit synthetic opioids.
However, in an eyebrow-raising move, only three suspects are currently detained, while four were released pending trial.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reported this as one of the largest fake pill seizures ever conducted in the region, dismantling a major illegal manufacturing site in Connecticut.
A federal grand jury in Bridgeport indicted the seven suspects from New Haven, West Haven, and Waterbury, exposing the criminal operation’s local roots.
Spearheaded by the DEA New Haven’s Tactical Diversion Squad and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the investigation uncovered a criminal enterprise that stretched from China to American streets.
The seized counterfeit pills were designed to imitate legitimate medications like oxycodone, Xanax and Adderall.
However, these fake drugs contained a deadly cocktail of methamphetamine, protonitazene (a synthetic opioid three times more potent than fentanyl), dimethylpentylone, xylazine and other dangerous substances.
This blatant disregard for American lives showcases the urgent need for stricter border control and harsher penalties for drug traffickers.
The operation’s scope became apparent when authorities discovered that one suspect had shipped over 1,300 packages through the U.S. mail between February 2023 and February 2024.
Even more alarming, the criminals were using industrial-scale equipment capable of producing 100,000 pills per hour, highlighting the massive influx of dangerous drugs into American communities.
“This country is in the midst of a catastrophic overdose epidemic where the threat from synthetic opioids and methamphetamine disguised in fake prescription medication remains high,” Acting Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau said in a statement.
The investigation revealed that the suspects bought substances and pill press parts from China and elsewhere, manufacturing the deadly pills in a rented garage in East Haven before selling them on the dark web.
On September 5, law enforcement struck decisively, arresting five suspects and searching several locations.
They uncovered hundreds of thousands of pills and pill manufacturing equipment, dealing a significant blow to the drug trafficking network.
The operation’s mastermind Kelldon Hinton of New Haven has a criminal record dating back to 1997.
His long history of offenses raises serious questions about the effectiveness of the justice system in keeping repeat offenders off the streets.
Hinton now faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life imprisonment, while his co-conspirators could serve up to 20 years.
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