On September 10, Attorney General William P. Barr and Drug Enforcement Administration Acting Administrator Timothy J. Shea announced the results of Operation Crystal Shield.
The operation was a DEA’s six-month-long effort targeting the command and control elements of Mexican cartels that operate major methamphetamine “transportation hubs” in the United States.
Barr and Shea announced Operation Crystal Shield generated more than 750 investigations, resulting in nearly 1,840 arrests and the seizure of more than 28,560 pounds of methamphetamine, $43.3 million in drug proceeds, and 284 firearms -- all within just six months time.
The DEA New Orleans Field Division, which covers Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas, conducted 115 investigations, made 411 arrests, and seized 723 pounds of methamphetamine, $4 million in drug proceeds, and 23 firearms.
FBI Little Rock tweeted Thursday their agents joined DEA New Orleans agents and state law enforcement to take down a major Arkansas drug trafficking ring that was connected to Mexico's Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
In a press conference, Shea explained how the COVID-19 pandemic shut down many businesses, but the drug trade didn't stop. He said the DEA, along with federal, state, and local officials, continued the fight against drug trafficking.
