Thursday, October 26, 2006

Colorado Methamphetamine Distribution Ring Smashed!

Joe Garner of The Rocky Mountain News (10-26-06) reports:

A methamphetamine distribution ring with tentacles across northern Colorado has been smashed and the kingpin arrested, law enforcement authorities announced Wednesday....

Officials said more than 45 pounds of high-purity methamphetamine, 1.1 kilos of cocaine and $59,000 were seized during a 13-month investigation. The wholesale value of the methamphetamine was about $865,000, with a street value in the millions, the officials said...

This was a monstrous amount," said Jeffrey D. Sweetin, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in the Rocky Mountain states. "This will have an impact for decades in Greeley."

Weld County Sheriff John Cooke said Greeley has emerged as a major point for methamphetamine sales and distribution because of the population growth on the northern Front Range, which includes a large community of illegal immigrants.

"The supply is coming to the demand," the sheriff said...


In at least once case, the traffickers stuffed a child's Elmo doll with four pounds of methamphetamine to hide the illicit cargo, Sweetin said.

The alleged leader of the organization, Rigoverto Valle-Sierra, was arrested without incident Tuesday in Greeley, officials said. Weld County Drug Task Force officers and DEA agents arrested nine others earlier this week. Nine more already were in custody on state charges, and two are fugitives. [Full Text]


The Drug Enforcement Agency has a press release about the Greeley, Colorado-based methamphetamine operation.

According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy,

The effects of methamphetamine use can include addiction, psychotic behavior, and brain damage. Methamphetamine is highly addictive and users trying to abstain from use may suffer withdrawal symptoms that include depression, anxiety, fatigue, paranoia, aggression, and intense cravings for the drug. Chronic methamphetamine use can cause violent behavior, anxiety, confusion, and insomnia. Users can also exhibit psychotic behavior including auditory hallucinations, mood disturbances, delusions, and paranoia, possibly resulting in homicidal or suicidal thoughts.12 Use of methamphetamine can cause damage to the brain that is detectable months after the use of the drug. The damage to the brain caused by methamphetamine use is similar to damage caused by Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and epilepsy.13 [Full Text]

More information about methamphetamine can be found at
http://www.methresources.gov/ This site highlights the bad effect that methamphetamine is having in Indian country.

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