Hundreds arrested, 28,000 pounds of meth seized in Operation Crystal Shield
(KYMA, KECY)-The Drug Enforcement Administration's San Diego Field Division Agents made countless arrests, seized thousand pounds of methamphetamine and many firearms during a six-month-long operation.
On Thursday, Attorney General Barr and Acting Administrator Shea said 'Operation Crystal Shield' initiated more than 750 investigations, which resulted in 1,840 arrests, 28,560 pounds of meth, $43.3 million in drug proceeds, and 284 firearms.
The DEA San Diego Field Division alone covers San Diego and Imperial Counties. Since January, it has conducted 29 investigations, made 81 arrests, and seized 4,462 pounds of methamphetamine and $489,000 in drug proceeds.
“In the months leading up to the launch of Operation Crystal Shield, communities across the United States experienced a surge of methamphetamine,” said Acting Administrator Timothy J. Shea. “The
COVID pandemic locked down many communities and impacted legitimate businesses, but the drug trade continued."
It initiated the investigation on February 20, after investigators identified major methamphetamine trafficking of drugs in Atlanta, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Phoenix, San Diego, and St. Louis.
From Fiscal Year 2017 to Fiscal Year 2019, DEA domestic seizures of methamphetamine increased 127 percent from 49,507 pounds to 112,146 pounds. The number of arrests related to meth has risen by 20 percent.
