Overview

• A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging 26 defendants in a Mexico-to-Midwest trafficking and money-laundering conspiracy centered in the Southern District of Illinois, with alleged conduct spanning January 2020 to July 2025.
• Authorities arrested 15 suspects during a coordinated, weeklong operation, with defendants located in California, Arizona, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Mexico.
• Investigators report seizing roughly 800 pounds of fentanyl, 150 pounds of methamphetamine, and 100 pounds of cocaine over the course of the probe.
• The investigation exposed an alleged money-laundering network that moved millions of dollars in cartel proceeds through U.S. banks.
• DEA, HSI, IRS Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and U.S. Marshals led the case under Operation Take Back America, with charges including narco-terrorism and material support following President Donald Trump’s terrorist designation of the Sinaloa Cartel.