FORT SMITH, AR – Fourteen individuals are facing federal charges after a massive roundup targeting a methamphetamine trafficking ring operating across Sebastian, Crawford, and Logan Counties. The arrests, announced today, are the culmination of a year-long investigation that exposed a network with direct ties to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel in Mexico, according to federal officials.
The operation, dubbed “Operation Bear Mountain Bingo,” delivered a “serious setback” to drug trafficking organizations, according to David Clay Fowlkes, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas. “The indictments and arrests in this case were only made possible due to the unprecedented cooperation between Federal, State and Local Agencies,” Fowlkes stated. The investigation revealed the group wasn’t just moving product; it was a violent operation utilizing firearms and engaging in acts of violence to protect its illicit trade.
Brad L. Byerley, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, underscored the severity of the situation. “Today, DEA, in collaboration with our Federal, State and Local law enforcement partners, took down a violent methamphetamine trafficking organization…whose tentacles extended beyond Arkansas to many other states,” Byerley said. “These violent offenders not only sold large quantities of methamphetamine, but also used firearms and committed acts of violence in furtherance of their crimes.” Byerley confirmed the dismantling of a major supplier to the region.
The current indictments build upon previous charges filed in July 2020, where four additional defendants – Emmanuel Miranda, Israel Miranda-Zapata, Brenda Golden Day, and Alexis Tirado – were arrested on August 5, 2020, for similar methamphetamine distribution offenses. The fifteen counts in the August 2020 indictment all center around the distribution of methamphetamine or the laundering of proceeds from its sale. The fourteen defendants arrested today will be arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Mark Ford in Fort Smith in the coming days.
Diane L. Upchurch, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Little Rock Field Office, emphasized the human cost of the operation. “The individuals arrested today enriched themselves off the misery and sufferings of others,” Upchurch said. “We urge anyone with information about Arkansas criminal organizations to contact our FBI office.” The FBI, DEA, and state/local partners are committed to dismantling these criminal organizations and stemming the flow of dangerous narcotics.
This takedown is part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, established in 1982 to combat major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The OCDETF program combines the resources of multiple federal agencies with state and local law enforcement, aiming to disrupt and dismantle the nation’s illicit drug supply. The joint investigation included the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
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Key Facts
- State: Arkansas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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