64 indicted for international drug trafficking ring with ties to Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A large international drug trafficking ring and a related money laundering operation in Colorado has been dismantled, according to the Colorado Attorney General's office.

Some of the drug busts related to takedown happened in Colorado Springs and Pueblo.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, AG's office, and 17th Judicial District Attorney's Office worked together to indict 64 people in the nearly two-year investigation.

Investigators uncovered a large market for illicit drugs, including heroin and counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl. Those who were indicted are accused of bringing the deadly drugs from Mexico through U.S. Ports.

According to the indictment, one of the men arrested was shipping drugs through the postal service in Colorado Springs.

During a traffic stop on West Cheyenne Road and Alsace Way in Colorado Springs, two suspected drug traffickers fled on foot, and officers found approximately 30 pounds of methamphetamine.

In December 2020, law enforcement officers arrested a Colorado Springs man at his apartment on Pikes Peak Avenue. They recovered methamphetamine, heroin, and counterfeit Oxycodone pills containing fentanyl. They also found a loaded Remington handgun.

“Colorado communities and families have suffered greatly from the opioid epidemic—and that impact is getting worse during this pandemic. That’s why addressing this crisis is a top priority for our office,” said Attorney General Phil Weiser. “By holding accountable the high-level organizers of this criminal enterprise and halting the spread of dangerous drugs, we can help save lives in Colorado. This effort is an excellent example of what we accomplish through ongoing collaboration in our state."

Overall the state and federal investigation recovered:

• 77,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills (contain fentanyl)
• 250 pounds of methamphetamine
• 60 pounds of heroin
• 6.8 kilograms of cocaine
• 12 firearms
• 19 vehicles valued at $229,000
• $931,000 in U.S. currency

According to the coroner's office in El Paso County, drug overdoses increased by 30% in 2020. Officials say more than half of that increase was related to fentanyl overdoses.