It's a large amount of methamphetamine. "Once we identified that source with that amount of methamphetamine that was supposed to hit the streets, they worked together to take action and apprehend that individual so that it didn't get to the streets," says Sheriff Delain. al. The caller reported a vehicle was parked at a gas pump for more than an hour. A gram of meth sold "on the street" in Wisconsin commonly costs $100 to $120, Brown County Sheriff's Capt. "At the gram level, in Northeast Wisconsin, it would have been over $2 million at the end," says Kinnard. A source tipped off the drug task force that Liebergen was bringing drugs into Northeast Wisconsin and selling them out of hotel rooms. Charges: Anoka residents busted with over 1,000 grams of meth. Inaddition to the illegal drugs, police seized what they called "alarge amount" of prescription medications and designer pills. She has not been publicly identified. Joshua . Sixteen people charged with drug crimes after meth investigation in Wausau area, 'Suitcases full' of methamphetamineseized in Appleton area, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. It's whatever you can make a buck on, so they'll sell whatever they can sell. On Oct. 3, Ullmer's girlfriend was arrested in Oconto Falls. The arrest is detailed in documents filed in federal court. "They were paying the Fentanyl price for it.". Suitcases full of drugs. That's what drug task force officers say they found while investigating a major drug operation in Northeast Wisconsin. Home / Legal News / Overdose investigation leads to large drug bust in Wisconsin Overdose investigation leads to large drug bust in Wisconsin KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) Authorities say an 11-month investigation that began with a drug overdose in southeastern Wisconsin has netted 106 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value up to $6 million. Cartel connection: tracing meth from Missouri to Northeast Wisconsin hotels, 911 call turns fire drill at Xavier High School into shelter-in-place order, Milwaukee murder suspect captured after chase in Winnebago County, Prosecution moves to ban Grant Fuhrmans mother from the courtroom, Aaron Rodgers hopes to have decision sooner rather than later, Brown County Showcase of Homes starts spring tour, Public File Assistance Contact - (920) 432-3331. Liebergen used to live there. "He was living in the St. Louis area, so that's his connection. Rugers and Glocks. Approximately $50,000+ of recovered property stolen from the area. Because the task force works with state and federal officials, its investigations can cross state lines. MESA, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) -- In the biggest drug bust recorded in Mesa Police Department history, officers uncovered over 700,000 fentanyl pills and more than 15 pounds of methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine earlier this month. Officers seized the following during the hotel bust: --1 kilogram of tramadol (prescription narcotic for pain). He drove from Missouri to Northeast Wisconsin to sell the meth to lower-level dealers. Duluth Police Chief Mike Tusken says the shut down of this organization would not have been possible without the collaboration of multiple law enforcement agencies. RELATED:Sixteen people charged with drug crimes after meth investigation in Wausau area, RELATED:'Suitcases full' of methamphetamineseized in Appleton area. Additionally, about $50,000 U.S . A further search of the vehicle turned up the following: --13.9 grams of marijuana (found in safe). tv. Wisconsin Rapids and Port Edwards Police Department, and Wisconsin Rapids . According to the Hobart/Lawrence Police Department, on March 29 officers responded to a report about a suspicious person/vehicle at the gas pumps at Kwik Trip. A federal grand jury charged 12 people eight from Wausau, one from Hewittand three from St. Paul, Minnesota in connection withthe distribution ring. Liebergen agreed to an interview after his arrest. The source told police that Liebergen would travel from out of state to the Appleton area with a large amount of meth. Liebergen also is charged with possessing a firearm while committing a drug-trafficking crime. He stated his intent was to sell the meth to pay off a drug debt to his supplier, according to the complaint. Other major Wisconsin meth busts in recent years include: The seizure of 19 pounds in Manitowoc County this May. The task force, formed in 2018, is made up of officers from the Marathon County and Lincoln County sheriff's offices, Wausau and Everest Metro police departments,Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigationand the FBI, Marathon County Sheriff Scott Parks said. Deputies also confiscated24grams of MDMA commonly known as the club drug "ecstasy" 64grams of hashish oil, 27grams of marijuana, 3.5grams of cocaine, illegally obtained prescription medication, drug paraphernalia and two guns. He along with the others involved are being charged with six felony counts including conspiring and "We are sending a strong and clear message to out-of-state sources that if theyre dumping methamphetaminefrom out of state into Wisconsin, we're going to locate them, prosecute them and send them to federalprison," Blader said. Police say they tookthousands of dollars' worth of illicit drugs off the street, as well as four loaded handgunsand ammunition. Contact Doug Schneider at (920) 431-8333, or DSchneid@gannett.com. It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this. DavidPoteat said. Authorities say they recovered crack, heroin and illegal guns . Kinnard believes the cartel sold it to Liebergen and made him believe it was something more powerful. Click the link to donate to Stock the Shelves and fight hunger in your community. Drug task force officers who worked the largest meth bust in Northeast Wisconsin say the drugs came from the Mexico Drug Cartel and were trafficked from Missouri to Wisconsin. That turned up the following: --Alprazolam pills (panic/anxiety medication), --Drug ledgers with names, dollar amounts and dates. Police say on Nov. 9, a traffic stop led to police searching an apartment near Country Club and University drives. Derek A. Liebergen, 26, of Kaukauna, is charged with possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, a felony, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court. Officers "had to wake the guy up," Hobart-Lawrence Police Chief Randy Bani said. Deputies administered narcan to the involved subject, saving that person's life. Serrano admitted to be a meth user. zp. However, where exactly the load came from is still under investigation. A federal criminal complaint obtained by Action 2 News shows Derek A. Liebergen is accused of possession with intent to distribute in excess of 500 grams of "a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.". Such a vehiclecan retail for between $28,000 and $35,000 in this region, depending on mileage and condition. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Sheriff Ron Cramer says this will go down as one of the largest seizures for. One of the biggest drug busts Florida has ever seen was straight out of a movie. Although Tranquilandia is referred to as a drug lab, it's actually much bigger. Authorities in Germany and Belgium seized more than 23,000 kilograms (50,700 pounds) of cocaine, worth billions of dollars, in an international operation that resulted in one arrest, officials . Serrano has been charged with possession with intent to deliver cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia. In this case, it was a powder. If convicted, Xiong could face between 10 years and life in federal prison. "It's just kind of very brazen for sure," says Kinnard. As a result of that investigation, a federal grand jury has returned an six-count indictment charging nine defendants with conspiracy to distribute heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana. Authorities allege that the meth was to be sold to pay a drug debt. The investigation was conducted by theCentral Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force. John Gates, 49, Hewitt:conspiring to distribute meth, two counts of attempting to possess the drug with intent to distribute. Stopping the spread of illegal drugs and drug trafficking in this community is incredibly important. RACINE - Authorities arrested eight suspected major drug traffickers and seized more than $60,000 worth of drugs in what law enforcement called one of the biggest drug busts in Racine County history. Sandy Vang, 49,Wausau:three counts of distributing meth with two counts alleged to involve 5 grams or more. A search warrant was executed at Ullmer's home in Oconto Falls. According to. Officers arrested 36-year-old Jesus Rojas Romero, 20-year-old Alex Ruiz, and 22-year-old Christian Valles Castro after the bust. Appleton-area bust involving 'suitcases full' of methamphetamineis one of state's largest, Untraceable 'ghost guns' pose new worry for Green Bay-area police, threaten to serve as new currency in meth buys, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. A further search of the vehicle turned up the following: --13.9 grams of marijuana (found in safe). Soua Khang, 23, Wausau:conspiring to distribute meth,three counts of distributing meth. A federal. On March 29, authorities say they were called to a gas station on Freedom Road (Highway S) in Lawrence. Information uncovered during investigations in the Wausau area have helpedshut down other organizations outside Wisconsin, Parks said. Some of the defendants also face federal gun charges. The department had seized 4.76 pounds in all of 2016. A quantity of illegal drugs will sell for significantly more in Upper Michigan than in northeastern Wisconsin, Ronk said. Commander Domenico Napolitano, head of the financial police for the city of Naples, told CNN . At a news conference Thursday, Duluth police officials said they worked with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to seize roughly 1,207 grams of meth and 527 grams of heroin and. The federal government has made it a priority to go after distributors. On Sept. 9, the Brown County Drug Task Force arrested defendant Malachi Root in Green Bay. In 1995, the US Coast Guard carried out a huge drug bust off the coast of Peru, which at the time was the biggest drug bust on the high seas, though it would soon be topped. Authorities say the suspects are part of a violent drug trafficking organization called the "Buffum Meinecke Boys," that operated in and around Milwaukee's Harambee neighborhood on the city's. Authorities would not say if the Grand Chute arrest is related to an Oconto Countybust, announced Tuesday, in which sheriff's deputies seized156grams of methamphetamine. While they don't yet know the street value of the drugs, Police Chief Randy Bani said investigators believe between $20,000 to $30,000 of drugs were confiscated. Liebergen obtained pounds of meth on several occasions dating back to spring. m. 158 people will eventually be charged with drug trafficking, according to Wood County Sheriff Tom Reichert. of cocaine that tested positive for fentanyl (estimated street value of the seized cocaine is $4,000,000 $6,000,000). Parks said Xiong's operation had the ability to move up to a pound of meth at a time in central Wisconsin. "This quantity was directed all over Northeast Wisconsin," says Sheriff Delain. Federal charges have been filed against a man accused of selling large quantities of meth out of a hotel room in Grand Chute. An investigation started which apparently lead to the largest drug bust in Hobart/Lawrence history. They searched his hotel room and found 60 pounds of meth and one kilogram of what investigators believed to be heroin/fentanyl, according to the complaint. "This quantity was directed all over Northeast Wisconsin," says Sheriff Delain. Sheriff: Area meth bust could be largest in state history, 911 call turns fire drill at Xavier High School into shelter-in-place order, Milwaukee murder suspect captured after chase in Winnebago County, Prosecution moves to ban Grant Fuhrmans mother from the courtroom, Aaron Rodgers hopes to have decision sooner rather than later, Brown County Showcase of Homes starts spring tour, Public File Assistance Contact - (920) 432-3331. The Kwik Trip was on Freedom Road (CTH S) in Lawrence. The task force used confidential informants, undercover officers, surveillance, covert cameras and wiretapsto investigate the distribution ring, court documents state. "So honestly, they probably thought they were buying heroin or fentanyl and got Tramadol," says Kinnard. A conviction on that charge carries a minimumof five years in prison. Colombian police seized a haul of cocaine found on the Mira River that was one of the biggest seizures of this drug ever in the world. Action 2 News is working to obtain all of the complaints and affidavits. A federal grand jury in Green Bay has indicted nine people in the drug conspiracy--believed to be one of the largest in state history. Duluth police Lt. Jeff Kazel, commander of the Lake Superior Drug and Violent Crime Task Force announces the results of what authorities said was the largest drug bust in the region's history. On Sept. 9, investigators met with a confidential source who had purchased "large quantities of methamphetamine" from Liebergen. Lisa Xiong, 31, Wausau:conspiring to distribute meth,three counts of distributing 5 grams or more, possessing 50 grams or more of meth with intent to distribute. The Wausau-area arrests were not connected to another major bust in northeastern Wisconsin involving nearly 60 pounds of meth found in suitcases at a hotel, according to Brown County. 3 arrested in largest meth bust in La Crosse police history Nearly 11 pounds of meth with street value of $124,000 seized and last updated 2:32 PM, Feb 27, 2023. When officers arrived, they found the vehicle running and the person inside the car appeared to be asleep. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. "When he woke up, his hands came out of his pocket, and drug paraphernalia was visible.". So that just shows you the fact that it spiders out," says Kinnard. jw. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Twenty people are facing rafts of charges each and more than $61 million worth of cocaine, crystal meth and marijuana was seized in what Toronto police are calling the largest drug . The bust resulted in a confiscation of 10 tons of cocaine, which was worth around $1.2 billion at the time. He would rent out a hotel room and "sell multiple pounds of methamphetamine" from the room. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. DULUTH, Minn. The Duluth Police Department and a string of other law enforcement agencies including the Lake Superior Drug and Violent Crime Taskforce have shut down a significant drug trafficking ring that extended throughout Greater Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. Under investigation the vehicle turned up the following: -- 13.9 grams of marijuana found. Confidential source who had purchased `` large quantities of methamphetamine '' from Liebergen it. `` man of. Contact Doug Schneider at ( 920 ) 431-8333, or DSchneid @.! 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