PHOENIX, AZ (Headline News USA) (Copyright © 2025) – It started with a quiet knock.

Federal agents last week executed one of the largest narcotics takedowns in U.S. history — a multi-state bust that pulled more than 400 kilograms of fentanyl off the streets and dismantled a trafficking ring authorities say was directly tied to the Sinaloa Cartel.

The numbers are dizzying. Over three million fentanyl pills, nearly 50 guns, including multiple ghost guns, and $1.1 million in cash were seized across six states, including Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. The Drug Enforcement Administration called it the largest fentanyl bust in agency history (Department of Justice).

And the center of the operation? Phoenix.

Inside one stash house, agents recovered 13 kilograms of fentanyl-laced pills, 72 pounds of methamphetamine, 2.4 pounds of heroin, 5 kilograms of cocaine, and close to $390,000 in cash (AZFamily). Another raid uncovered high-end vehicles, drug ledgers, and the kind of inventory that suggests Phoenix isn’t just a pass-through city — it’s a hub.

Authorities say Heriberto Salazar Amaya, 36, was the operation’s ringleader. He’s now facing federal conspiracy charges along with 15 other suspects indicted in connection with the bust (Reuters).

“This wasn’t just a big number,” said DEA Acting Administrator Robert Murphy. “Behind the three million fentanyl pills we seized are destructive criminal acts thwarted and American lives saved” (DOJ).

In Albuquerque, agents confiscated nearly 400 kilograms of fentanyl pills and powder, along with 49 firearms and $600,000 in cash. In Salem, Oregon, the total included more than $2.8 million in laundered cartel money. In Layton, Utah, authorities seized $780,000 and a luxury Dodge TRX truck, part of what agents called “narco bling.”

What tied these locations together, investigators said, was a sophisticated distribution pipeline operating under the cartel’s umbrella — and largely routed through the Southwest.

“This historic drug seizure… removes poison from our streets and protects American citizens from the scourge of fentanyl,” said former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who now advises on narcotics policy at the federal level (Reuters).

Fentanyl is now the leading cause of overdose deaths in the United States. According to the CDC, synthetic opioids like fentanyl were responsible for over 70,000 deaths in 2023. Its potency — 50 times stronger than heroin — means a lethal dose can be as little as two milligrams. Dealers often cut the drug into counterfeit pills or mix it into cocaine, increasing the likelihood of accidental overdoses.

The Sinaloa Cartel has been the dominant force behind fentanyl smuggling into the U.S., especially after authorities disrupted China-to-U.S. supply lines in recent years. Experts say the cartel moved manufacturing closer to the border, and Phoenix’s position — just six hours from Mexico by car — made it a strategic node.

And while authorities are quick to celebrate the scope of this takedown, they’re also measured in their expectations.

“Cartels adapt fast,” one law enforcement source told Arizona’s Family. “We hit them hard with this one, no doubt. But they don’t just go away. This is a long fight.”

The DEA worked closely with local police departments, tribal law enforcement, the FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations, coordinating dozens of search warrants over several weeks. The raids were deliberately timed to dismantle supply, seize profits, and apprehend operatives simultaneously.

Now comes the prosecution. All 16 suspects will be tried in federal court — a shift from prior years when many would’ve simply been deported. Officials say that’s intentional: keeping the cases in U.S. courts allows for longer sentences and tighter disruption of cartel operations.

“This was a strategic strike,” Murphy said. “But more importantly, it sends a message: the United States is not backing down.”