Dozens of members of a Texas-based drug trafficking organization have been arrested in a sweeping operation that targeted the "largest known pharmacy burglary ring" in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's history, USA Today reports. Following a years-long investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas and DEA representatives announced Thursday that an additional 24 people were arrested in Houston in July as part of the second phase of "Operation #Richoffmeds." The defendants were charged with conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute, according to U.S. Attorney Jonathan D. Ross. A majority of the additional 24 defendants appeared in federal court in Little Rock on Thursday, Ross said at a news conference. The remaining defendants will appear in court in September.
Last December, federal authorities announced phase one of Operation #Richoffmeds after investigating more than 20 pharmacy burglaries and thefts of pharmaceutical narcotics in Arkansas. At the time, 18 people had been arrested in November 2023 and were accused of stealing more than $1.5 million worth of narcotics. Further investigation revealed that the 42 defendants had worked together to burglarize over 200 pharmacies across 31 states, including more than 11 pharmacies in the Eastern District of Arkansas, Ross said. The stolen drugs — which included oxycodone, hydrocodone, and other prescription drugs — were transported to Houston to be sold illegally. "This Houston-based network targeted rural pharmacies, stealing powerful drugs like Oxycodone, Xanax, and Adderall to flood the streets," DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said in a statement. "These criminals even crawled on floors to dodge security, but they couldn't escape us. We dismantled their entire operation-street dealers, burglars, and all. In the fight against the opioid epidemic, the DEA is relentless in shutting down those who profit from fueling addiction."
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