A locked padlock The list of those arrested, including 4 on state level charges, were made public at a press conference in North Platte Friday morning. A series of previous arrests stretching over the last three years brought on even more leads culminating in the police sweep this week. Today a violent gang has been dismantled. Omaha NE 68102, Omaha:(402) 661-3700
NET News previously reported on a series of arrests by federal and state authorities that laid the groundwork for this week's massive operation. Press Release. That operation was reportedly run out of a ranch house south of Big Springs, Nebraska just off the intersection of Interstates 80 and 76. Teams of local and federal officers were deployed to locations across the region and arrests began at exactly the same time to reduce the chance those being pursued would warn one another. That HIDTA award, from a case which began in 2012, ironically spun off into this drug conspiracy involving this operation.. Feb 24, 2016 Updated Sep 3, 2020. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Claude Parker, 29, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 17, 2023, in federal court in Omaha for Felon in Possession of Ammunition. The Omaha office of the FBI coordinated the sweep. The operation, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, also included investigators from the Cooperative Operation for Drug Enforcement Drug Task Force and the Western Nebraska Intelligence and Narcotics Group, as well as Colorado law enforcement authorities. As part of the operation, the Grand Island Police Departments tactical response team helped serve a warrant at a Grand Island residence on Tuesday morning, police Capt. Deborah R. Gilg, U.S. attorney for Nebraska, announced on Tuesday that 63 individuals have been indicted as part of a yearlong Department of Justice investigation into a methamphetamine conspiracy in central and western Nebraska and northeastern Colorado. Marshals Service and Webster County Sheriffs Department. Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for drug trafficking and illegally possessing firearms. Official websites use .gov Dean Elliott said. All arrests were made without incident. Special Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, alongside officers and investigators of the Lincoln Police Department, deputies from the United States Marshals Service, and deputies and investigators with the Lancaster County Sheriffs Office, executed a series of search warrants in connection with these charges earlier today and worked together to take these defendants into custody quickly and safely. Saatva Mattress Review: Our Pick for the Best Overall Bed of 2023, We Found 12 Cute Planters and Flower Pots That Cost Less Than $25, Here's Where to Watch and Stream Marvel's 'Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' Online. Have a question about Government Services? Federal authorities and local law enforcement have completed the biggest drug sweep in Nebraska's history, U.S. Attorney Deborah Gilg said Friday. State troopers have found a massive load of marijuana worth about $5 million in a disabled commercial truck on Interstate 80 in south-central Nebraska. We appreciate the focused work by so many talented and driven staff leading to the arrests.. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). The auto detailing shop in Blue Hill, Nebraska raided by the FBI this week. Sources involved in aspects of the investigation confirmed to NET News the arrests are an outgrowth of an operation nicknamed Mexican Seafood stretching back to 2012 when two individuals arrested for selling marijuana provided information about methamphetamine dealers in western Nebraska and northeast Colorado. North Platte Police Chief Mike Swain told reporters his department began to see a growing problem with drug trafficking in the community several years ago and reached out to other agencies for assistance. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. A year-long investigation . United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Eric D. Colclasure, 35, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 17, 2023, in federal court in Omaha for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime. The first of 60 suspected meth dealers appeared in federal court in Omaha Friday following their arrest in a "groundbreaking" series of police raids in western Nebraska and Colorado. Engaging more than 1 million Nebraskans each month through television, radio, online and mobile platforms.Your support is essential! On the states south central border, residents of Blue Hill, in Webster County (population 915). Gilg and other law enforcement officials will announce details of the operation on Friday morning in North Platte. United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Bath Par Kuol, 27, of Lexington, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 17, 2023, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Suspects have addresses in North Platte, Scottsbluff, Grand Island, Hastings, Kearney, Lexington and Gibbon. A lock ( . The first of 60 suspected meth dealers appeared in federal court in Omaha Friday following their arrest in a groundbreaking series of police raids in western Nebraska and Colorado. As of Friday afternoon, seven people were still at large. (See the original story from NET News). The Nebraska State Patrol says in a news release that the marijuana was found Saturday afternoon, when a trooper noticed a commercial box truck stopped on the shoulder of eastbound I-80 near Cozad and stopped to help. Kelly added, Federal statutes provide effective tools to combat violent crimes involving firearms and the cooperation of all levels of law enforcement, as here, will keep our communities safe., After todays arrests, FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel said, Protecting the public from violent criminals is a fundamental core of the FBI's mission. While there are no indications of a local presence of cartel representatives, and there was no large-scale coordination of controlling regional drug trafficking, law enforcement officials involved in the investigation say the arrests succeeded in smashing individual meth dealer groups in a number of communities. 22, 2023, for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking. Jeff Bahr. Glass, 47, of Fremont, Nebraska, was sentenced today by Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. to 9 months incarceration for Conspiracy to Commit Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law. We will continue to investigate, arrest, and charge violent gang members who terrorize our community. U.S. Attorney Kelly praised the efforts of the Lincoln Police Department, the Lancaster County Attorneys Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other agencies for coming together on this investigation and prosecution. Over the past year investigators, using informants and confidential methods, were able to track the meth deliveries through four states as they made their way north from the Mexican production facilities into Colorado and Nebraska. 2020 (184) 2019 (185) 2018 (133) 2017 (91) 2016 (116) 2015 (127 . The individuals received federal indictments for distribution of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. The logistics of the operation were epic. State troopers have found a massive load of marijuana worth about $5 million in a disabled commercial truck on Interstate 80 in south-central Nebraska. 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There was a problem saving your notification. Everyone loves a parade, especially when you are robbing a bank. Most of those arrested are charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, reflecting that evidence would show they are dealers of 50 grams or more when they dealt with undercover officers. The charges allege a firearms conspiracy; conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act); drug trafficking crimes; and multiple charges of possessing firearms in furtherance of crimes of violence and drug trafficking crimes. Connecting Nebraska through PBS, NPR and original content for nearly 70 years. Lincoln:(402) 437-5241. United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Austin Galvan, 41, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for felon in possession of ammunition. So many individuals were arrested at least one bus had to be used to make the trip. This case was primarily investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lincoln Police Department with operational assistance from the Lancaster County Sheriffs Office and the United States Marshals Service. United States Attorney Steven A. Russell announced that Raymond McGaugh, 31, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced in federal court in Omaha on February 22, 2023, for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking. We cut off some tentacles.. Asked whether there will be a long-term impact on drug sales in the state, Col. Rice told reporters these arrests should be a warning to anyone who tries to come in and take their place.. Grand Island police officers surrounded the church., which is at 422 W. Second St. United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Catherine Gibson, 45, of North Platte, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for her role in a methamphetamine conspiracy. You have permission to edit this article. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. The day before the raids more than 100 law enforcement officers gathered in a North Platte National Guard armory for a briefing on the mass raid. By Bill Kelly , Senior Producer/Reporter Nebraska Public Media. Several were well known to local law enforcement with many previous drug-related arrests. Nebraska law enforcement agencies involved in the operation and investigation also included the Central City Police Department and the Nebraska State Patrol. A locked padlock Nearly 2,300 pounds of marijuana found in truck in Nebraska. The trooper later became suspicious that the truck was involved in criminal activity, and it was towed to a patrol office in Lexington and searched. While spread across a nearly 200-mile-wide area, nearly a third of those charged were concentrated in the North Platte area. United States Attorney Steven Russell announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned 26 unsealed Indictments charging 28 defendants. All are in custody without incident. a local auto detailing shop was raided by FBI agents and sheriffs deputies. At approximately 3:35 p.m. Sunday, a trooper was on patrol on 27th Street near Interstate 80 in Lincoln when he saw what appeared to be two vehicles that had just had a crash. Legislature Nixes Food Benefits for Released Drug Offenders, Interdisciplinary Roundtable Seeks to Address Opioid Challenges, Federal Judge Allows Nebraska Execution To Move Forward. Updated: 12:18 PM CDT Aug 17, 2020 State troopers have found a massive load of marijuana worth about $5 million in a disabled commercial truck on Interstate 80 in south-central Nebraska. . United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced federal criminal charges against 12 members of the No Name Demons Gang in Lincoln, Nebraska. The U.S. Attorney of the Nebraska District, Deb Gilg, referred to those taken into custody as a 'Whos Who' of major meth dealers in western Nebraska, likely supplied by drug cartels based in Mexico. The trooper later became suspicious that the truck was involved in criminal activity, and it was towed to a patrol office in Lexington and searched. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The Panhandle's WING drug task force was among those honored Tuesday in North Platte for its role in a drug bust dubbed the "largest drug bust in Nebraska history." The task force was recognized . Colorado law enforcement agencies involved were the Denver office of the FBI, the Holyoke Police Department, Sedgwick County Sheriffs Department and the U.S. attorneys office for the District of Colorado. One of largest drug busts in Nebraska history announced. The defendants are alleged to have used the firearms not only to further their drug trafficking but also to commit robberies of individuals in Lincoln. February 21, 2023. U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Nebraska, Twelve Lincoln Gang Members Indicted in Violent Crime and Firearms Conspiracy, Omaha Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Felon In Possession of Ammunition, Omaha Man Sentenced to 180 Months for Firearms and Methamphetamine Charges, Omaha Man Sentenced for Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, Twelve Lincoln Gang Members Indicted In Violent Crime and Firearms Conspiracy. An official website of the United States government.