Overview

• Nineteen people have been federally charged in connection with an international organized crime syndicate that imported and exported a variety of drugs, including fentanyl, across the southern border into the United States and Canada.
• The drug trafficking ring included an Italian organized crime figure, Mexican-based drug suppliers, U.S. distributors, and Canadian truck drivers operating in the U.S.
• The investigation, known as 'Operation Dead Hand,' alleges that an unnamed organized crime group used Canadian 'handlers' and 'dispatchers' who traveled to the U.S. for short periods of time, and coordinated the pick-up and delivery of large shipments of cocaine and methamphetamine, which were loaded onto long-haul semi-trucks bound for Canada.
• The indictments allege the drug trafficking activity involved 1,860 pounds of methamphetamine, 2,092 pounds of cocaine, 44 pounds of fentanyl, and nearly nine pounds of heroin.
• During the investigation, authorities seized between $16 million to $28 million in drugs, and more than $900,000 in cash.