ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. — Nine people are facing criminal charges for allegedly funneling large quantities of drugs into Adams County, other parts of Colorado, and other Western states, the 17th Judicial District Attorney's Office said.
Prosecutors said a grand jury returned an indictment against nine members of a Mexican drug cartel who allegedly funneled large quantities of fentanyl, meth and cocaine into Adams County and other parts of Colorado, Oregon, Nevada and Arizona.
District Attorney Brian Mason said these are big players connected to the Sinaloa Cartel.
“What I could call an alleged 'big fish.' So somebody who works directly for this cartel out of Mexico and was directing operations of drug distribution into the state of Colorado and specifically into Adams County,” Mason said.
Investigators tracked down the suspects through wiretapping.
"There are very specific laws on when we can listen to people's phone calls,” Mason said. “It's a very, very high standard, as it should be."
Mason said this case met those standards.
The calls led investigators to local neighborhoods, apartment buildings and parking lots.
"These cartels are engaging in huge lucrative business, and they have a very sophisticated operation to get their drugs here,” Mason said. “They have people here who are working for them and helping them and distributing their drugs to normal people on the streets."
The suspects are facing charges including drug distribution and money laundering. Two are accused of violations of the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act.
Prosecutors said three of them are in custody, while the other six remain at large.
"Operation Dress for Less investigated the distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamines, and cocaine between the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico and the greater Adams County area," prosecutors said in a news release. "The North Metro Task Force identified local distributors in Westminster and Federal Heights. Through the course of this operation, the task force uncovered an entire distribution network of co-conspirators that connected Mexico to Colorado, Oregon, Nevada and Arizona."
Prosecutors said as part of the operation, law enforcement seized 84.3 pounds of fentanyl pills (about 381,824 pills), 66 pounds of meth, 1.4 kilos of cocaine, 14 grams of heroin, an active meth lab, five guns, and $93,000.
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