In a significant law enforcement operation, authorities have dismantled a major drug trafficking organization responsible for shipping large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl from California to Nashville. Announced by Nashville’s Police Chief John Drake and TBI Director David Rausch, this case is marked as the city’s largest methamphetamine investigation to date. The organization had reportedly shipped an estimated 5,000 pounds of methamphetamine into Nashville over recent years.
Since the investigation began in November 2022, law enforcement has intercepted over 800 pounds of meth and 24 pounds of fentanyl, preventing these substances from reaching the streets of Nashville. Chief Drake expressed pride in the law enforcement team from MNPD, TBI, and other agencies involved in this operation, noting the significance not only in the volume of drugs seized but also in the arrest of the alleged California supplier.
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The investigation was led by MNPD’s Specialized Investigations Division narcotics detectives and TBI agents, forming part of the TBI’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force. The collaboration between local and federal law enforcement agencies has been crucial in this operation, as emphasized by TBI Director Rausch and DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Matthew Daly.
The investigation was initiated after FedEx detected seven suspicious parcels sent from Toluca Lake, California, to addresses in North Nashville and Antioch. These parcels, intercepted by law enforcement, were found to contain 266 pounds of crystal methamphetamine. The operation has resulted in the indictment and arrest of thirteen individuals, including Francisco Velasquez Serrano, 34, from La Puente, California, who is accused of being the source of the meth shipments. Serrano has been extradited to Nashville.
Local individuals at the helm of the distribution operation include James Maurice Butler, 24, and Jeffrey Carl Jones, 40, who allegedly managed the logistics and distribution of the methamphetamine. Additional individuals charged in the conspiracy include Kenneth Lawrence, Kendrick Thompson, Christopher Daniels, Aleah Steele, Shaquarya Fleming, Juannae Piero, Timothy L. Batts, Stephen Hicks, Jonathan Kramer, and Tino Wallace. Some of these individuals are not currently in custody and are being sought by law enforcement.
Search warrants executed on Halloween at various locations, including residences and stash houses, led to the seizure of 47.5 pounds of meth, 7.6 pounds of fentanyl, 6.5 pounds of marijuana, 172 grams of Ecstasy, and six firearms. An earlier search in September resulted in the seizure of 311 pounds of meth and nearly 13 pounds of fentanyl from a storage unit.
The investigation is ongoing, with further charges anticipated. This operation has involved multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, and several local police departments and sheriff’s offices across Tennessee.
Source: Read Original Release
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