Federal agents on Thursday revealed details on one of the largest narcotics busts in the San Francisco Bay Area’s history, exposing a smuggling ring linked to a Mexican cartel that resulted in 44 arrests.
The sting, dubbed “Operation Burnt Orange” by the FBI’s San Francisco field office, seized 1,100 pounds of methamphetamine and more than a dozen firearms supplied by Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, KRON reported.
“I want to explain with 1,100 pounds of methamphetamine is. It’s approximately 80 million doses,” Daniel Como, special agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration, told KCBS.
U.S. Attorney David Anderson told the TV station that the alleged Mexico-to-San Jose smuggling operation resulted in drug, weapons and conspiracy charges, but the suspects have not yet been identified publicly.
In addition to the meth, agents also seized an estimated 500 grams of fentanyl, 20 pounds of cocaine, 20 pounds of heroin and more than $200,000 in cash. The alleged conspiracy also involved grenade launchers and 50-caliber sniper rifles trafficked through Nogales, Arizona, KCBS reported.
According to the TV station, the coordinated busts took place in Newark, Mountain View, San Jose, Santa Clara and San Mateo, but the largest of the stings netted 11 firearms and 572 pounds of meth on Jan. 27 in Sunnyvale.