A week after what is being touted as one of the largest, if not the largest, ever drug bust in Denver, 97 people face criminal charges and 80 people have been arrested on allegations that they participated in a large-scale drug distribution ring in Denver. After the cocaine bust, 17 suspects remain at large.
Law enforcement officers say that the cocaine ring had an international distribution network that operated from Denver, Los Angeles and Mexico City. Police reportedly seized cocaine, crack, meth, assault rifles and hand guns, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in the Denver bust.
In a coordinated effort across many levels of law enforcement agencies, SWAT team officers busted down the doors of dozens of suspected cocaine-ring members in the wee hours of Thursday, February 9. The FBI Special Agent in charge of the drug bust said that the drug charges and arrests resulted from evidence discovered in a large-scale operation to arrest suspects who were alleged to have committed violent bank robberies throughout Denver during 2010. Over two dozen suspects were arrested in that sweep. Task forces sifted through the evidence obtained and exposed connections to the cocaine distribution ring.
Drug crime allegations are serious. While possession of crack, powder cocaine or meth is a serious drug offense that often means prison after conviction, discovery of a weapon during a drug bust can make the consequences even more serious. At the same time, in large-scale operations coordinated tips, information and identification across multiple agencies and task forces, the likelihood of mistake, such as mistaken identify, may be greater. Those facing cocaine distribution or weapons charges should seek experienced legal defense.
Source
CBSNews.com: “Police: 97 charged, 80 arrested in city-wide Denver drug bust,” Casey Glynn, Feb. 10, 2012