Philip Pevehouse. Visit us on Facebook! The indictment included fifteen counts, all of which involved the distribution of methamphetamine or laundering of money earned from the distribution of methamphetamine. We saw the families and children suffer more because of (the price increase), Smith said. Mateo E. Solis , 26, with a listed residence in the 1200 block of North 33rd Street in Fort Smith, took a plea deal in open court on Friday and we'll have the 25 years added to his current sentence in the Arkansas Department of Corrections. These arrests are for a variety of drugs ranging from marijuana to meth and cocaine. In August 2020, a federal grand jury returned an Indictment charging several individuals in the Fort Smith, Arkansas area with a large-scale, multi-state drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy. Nicholas Nico Moron-Rivera age 29, Fort Smith, Arkansas plead guilty on September 16, 2021 to Distribution of Methamphetamine. Search arrest records and find latests mugshots and bookings for Misdemeanors and Felonies. Like narcotics investigators and paramedics, Coats and others at Harbor House have seen drug addiction, and thus intakes, spike in the area. The defendants arrested Thursday are Manuel DeJesus Perez-Echeverria, Humberto Acosta-Martinez, Julio Ivan Enriquez-Munoz, Alberto Ledesma, Efrain Maciel-Martinez, Traye Everett Martin, Julie Ann Pyles, Ezequiel Rodriguez, Paula Lynne Rider, Ronal Salinas, Benjamin Valdez, Amber Renee Vance, Emily Elizabeth Williams and Michael Dean Wilson. Im in a different part of the state, and youre the only people who are taking people right now, he said. The 14 defendants arrested Thursday allegedly have ties to Mexico and the Jalisco New Generation Mexican cartel, according to a Western District news release. The indictment included fifteen counts, all of which involved the distribution of methamphetamine or laundering of money earned from the distribution of methamphetamine. Because of persistent and collaborative efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies in the area, a major supplier of methamphetamine to this region of Arkansas is out of business., The individuals arrested today enriched themselves off the misery and sufferings of others, stated Special Agent in Charge Diane Upchurch of the FBI Little Rock Field Office. We just adjusted with the pandemic, and now were back to normalcy, Smith said. The individuals arrested today are: Manuel Chuy De Jesus Perez-Echeverria, Humberto Beto Acosta-Martinez, Julio Ivan Enriquez-Munoz, Alberto Ledesma, Efrain Maciel-Martinez, Traye Everett Martin, Julie Ann Pyles, Ezequiel Rodriguez, Paula Lynne Rider, Ronal Salinas, Benjamin Ben Valdez, Amber Renee Vance, Emily Elizabeth Williams, and Michael Dean Wilson. Investigation spanned more than year by Thomas Saccente | September 14, 2020 at 3:00 a.m. FORT SMITH -- Fourteen people were arrested by federal, state and local law enforcement in. Yang Chanthavong, 41, who has been sentenced to more than 106 years of imposed prison time since 2005, somehow keeps getting out, returning to Sebastian County, dealing more drugs and getting caught just to start the cycle all over again. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. The individuals arrested today are: Manuel Chuy De Jesus Perez-Echeverria, Humberto Beto Acosta-Martinez, Julio Ivan Enriquez-Munoz, Alberto Ledesma, Efrain Maciel-Martinez, Traye Everett Martin, Julie Ann Pyles, Ezequiel Rodriguez, Paula Lynne Rider, Ronal Salinas, Benjamin Ben Valdez, Amber Renee Vance, Emily Elizabeth Williams, and Michael Dean Wilson. Measures put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Arkansas created an environment that lends itself to drug use, officials say. Chanthavong was sentenced as a habitual offender for the drug crimes stemming from his August, 2020 arrest which also saw him charged with Fleeing and Criminal Mischief. This helps compensate for services that would otherwise be offered, Coats said. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Carter is prosecuting the case for the Western District of Arkansas, with the prosecution being part of the Western District's Operation Bear Mountain Bingo, itself part of the Department of Justice's Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force program. fort smith, ar drug arrests. Additionally, the operation led investigators to Wilkes County in June 2020 and the seizure of more than 200 pounds of methamphetamine and the arrest of three individuals. The 2020 Drug Enforcement Administration National Drug Threat Assessment said the number of drug overdose deaths that could be attributed to synthetic opioids other than methadone, such as. Outside of Harbor House, some recovery groups have stopped meeting because of the number of people present at their meetings. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled. POSSESS FIREARMS BY CERTAIN PERSONS. Mounts said hes recently seen the prevalence of narcotics likely containing the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl at his overdose calls. #7-2023. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearings for the United States District Court in Fort Smith. House Arrest Program 200 South 7th Street Fort Smith, Arkansas 72901 Phone: 479-782-4287 . Agents of the FBI, DEA, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Arkansas State Police, detectives from the Fort Smith, Greenwood and Paris police departments and investigators from the Crawford, Logan and Sebastian county sheriffs offices executed the investigation. Fort Smith, AR 72901. Crime in the United States 2020 - Arrests and Arrest Table: Arrests for Drug Abuse Violations.Washington, DC: US Dept. At one time, Federal marshals used to ride out of the United States and into Indian Territory at this juncture. Israel Miranda-Zapata age 30, Fort Smith, Arkansas sentenced April 1, 2021 to 108 months BOP and $100 special assessment for Conspiracy to Distribute More Than 5 Grams of Methamphetamine. Around 6 a.m. 70 officers from multiple agencies went to execute 30 narcotic related search warrants in Dewitt, Stuttgart and Gillett. "The indictments and arrests in this case were only made possible due to the unprecedented cooperation between federal, state and local agencies.". Official websites use .gov Given the past forgiveness for his transgressions and the fact he has been sentenced to 106 years in the past fourteen years and has seemingly done about six, all those out there relying on him for their supply will be back in business before the 2024 Presidential election. We still have a person there who were not going to let die no matter what, Mounts said. But drug court members can still only get counseling through Zoom meetings, he said. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. Ezequiel Rodriguez age 43. Photo Name Subject Number In Custody Race Gender Date of Birth Height Weight Multiple Bookings Housing Facility; AUSTIN, JOHN KESNER: 281: Yes: White: Male: 04/27/1977 The defendants 14 of whom were arrested Thursday in the Western District of Arkansas' Operation . OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. Recently, 14 of those. Any time we advocate for not using drugs or staying away, we do it, but I dont know what the answer is, he said. Work Fort Smith Director Miles Crawford in April said widespread joblessness is a predicting factor in widespread drug abuse. Efrain Maciel-Martinez age 54, Fort Smith, Arkansas sentenced October 14, 2021 to 78 months BOP, $100 special assessment, $300 fine for Possession of More Than Fifty (50) Grams of a Mixture or Substance Containing Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute. The indictment for the 18 defendants alleges all of them at least as early as Jan. 1, 2019, to July 28, 2020, conspired with each other and with others known and unknown to the Grand Jury to distribute a substance containing meth. FORT SMITH, Ark. VAN BUREN, Ark. Its first fort was built at Belle Point, where the Arkansas and Poteau rivers unite. In the event you observe activities that could be linked to illegal drug activity, you are encouraged to contact the Narcotics Detectives (479) 709-5103. 501-618-8000. 202300706. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. #6-2023. surveillance photo Fort Smith Police Department Narcotics Arrests and Convictions for March 18, 2016 According to the Fort Smith Police Department individuals on this page were arrested and convicted in the area of the crimes listed below. Smith and others in drug enforcement have continued their drug education efforts in the schools like they did before the pandemic. I think its made it very difficult on them., An age-old problem in unprecedented times. 414 Parker Avenue The Fort Smith Arrest Records Search (Arkansas) links below open in a new window and take you to third party websites that provide access to Fort Smith public records. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nations illicit drug supply. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. Cartels are commonly at the top of the supply chain for local drug dealing operations, according to 12th and 21st District Drug Task Force Director Paul Smith. Heavener, Oklahoma sentenced October 21, 2021 to 210 months BOP, $100 special assessment, $14,653.19 in restitution to the DEA for methamphetamine laboratory cleanup/abatement for Conspiracy to Distribute More Than Five-Hundred (500) Grams of a Mixture or Substance Containing Methamphetamine. Ive ran into a couple of people who have overdosed over the past few days, most of them accidentally, Mounts said. Adult (98%), white (93%), males (69%) constituted a majority of those arrested. 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