Largest Fentanyl Bust in U.S. History Targets Sinaloa Cartel, Nets 11.5 Kilos in Oregon-Led Operation

SALEM, Ore. — Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Tuesday that federal agents executed one of the largest fentanyl busts in U.S. history, dismantling a multi-state drug trafficking ring operated by Mexico’s powerful Sinaloa cartel. The operation, centered in Salem, Oregon, resulted in the seizure of 11.5 kilograms of fentanyl, including approximately 3 million fentanyl-laced pills disguised as oxycodone, and the arrest of the suspected ringleader, Heriberto Salazar Amaya, who was directing operations from a hideout in Oregon.

The coordinated takedown targeted a cartel network spanning Phoenix, Arizona; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and parts of Utah, Nevada, and Oregon. In addition to the fentanyl haul, authorities confiscated 35 kilograms of methamphetamine, 7.5 kilograms of cocaine, 4.5 kilograms of heroin, and 49 rifles and pistols.

“This was an incredible operation,” Bondi said. “It took months and months of work … to get this massive amount of drugs and guns off our streets.”

The six-month investigation, initiated with undercover operations and surveillance, involved federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), FBI, and U.S. Customs Service. Authorities used wiretaps and intelligence from smaller drug seizures to map the cartel’s distribution network, which funneled narcotics from the Southwest border to urban and rural communities across the five states.

The trafficking ring disguised lethal fentanyl as legitimate prescription drugs like oxycodone. “These 3 million pills could have killed millions of Americans,” Bondi said.

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin, has driven a devastating overdose crisis, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting over 70,000 fentanyl-related deaths in 2023. Counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl have become a growing threat, often sold as prescription medications to unsuspecting buyers.

DEA Administrator Anne Milgram emphasized the operation’s impact. “The Sinaloa cartel has been relentless in flooding our communities with fentanyl, profiting off addiction and death,” Milgram said. “This takedown disrupts their supply chain and sends a clear message: We will not stop until this threat is dismantled.”

The arrests included key figures in the cartel’s U.S.-based distribution network, with Salazar Amaya identified as the alleged leader operating from Salem, Oregon. At least six of those arrested were in the country illegally. “They need to serve their time in an American prison to keep them off the streets, who knows where they would go next,” Bondi said. “Sending them back to Mexico to continue on with their drug business isn’t going to happen under this administration.”

Authorities seized cash and other trafficking paraphernalia. The operation’s scale—spanning five states and netting enough fentanyl to potentially kill millions—reflects the cartel’s reach and the urgency of the response.

Authorities are still analyzing the seized drugs and expect additional arrests as the investigation continues. Specific details about the operation’s logistics, including exact seizure locations, were withheld to protect ongoing efforts.

The bust is part of intensified U.S. efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking, including enhanced border security and international partnerships to disrupt cartel supply chains. President Donald Trump praised the operation as a “tremendous win” and called for harsher penalties for drug traffickers.