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Major Drug Smuggling Operation Using Fire Extinguishers Busted

The U.S. Department of Justice charges 17 in a scheme that brought fentanyl and other drugs from Mexico to Los Angeles.

A Dominican anti-drug police officer stands behind packages of seized drugs during a news conference at the National Drug Control Agency in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is now the region's biggest transit point for drugs. A U.S. military assessment projected that 6 percent of the cocaine destined for the U.S. this year will pass through the Dominican Republic alone. (AP Photo/Manuel Diaz) | Manuel Diaz
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Overview

  • 17 individuals have been charged in a drug smuggling operation that used fire extinguishers to transport fentanyl and other drugs from Mexico to Los Angeles.
  • The smuggling scheme, dubbed 'Operation Smoke Jumpers' by the U.S. Department of Justice, resulted in 13 seizures, including 680,992 fentanyl pills and significant quantities of heroin and methamphetamine.
  • Ten of the suspects are in custody in the U.S., while seven are wanted in Mexico. Charges include narcotics conspiracies, drug possession offenses, and a money laundering conspiracy.
  • The investigation focused on Carin Trucking, a San Diego-based company, which operated semitrucks that regularly crossed the border, concealing drugs within fire extinguishers.
  • Fentanyl has become Los Angeles County’s deadliest drug, with its involvement in fatal opioid overdoses nationwide skyrocketing from 20% in 2016 to 92% in 2022.