Authorities in the United States have successfully dismantled a major drug smuggling operation that involved a significant amount of narcotics entering Los Angeles from Mexico. The operation, known as “Operation Dead Hand,” aimed to distribute the drugs in both the U.S. and Canada using long-haul truckers. As a result, 19 individuals have been charged in two U.S. federal indictments for their roles in this organized crime syndicate.
One of the individuals charged is Roberto Scoppa, a Montreal man who is alleged to be a large-scale Canadian trafficker and Italian Mafia figure. The FBI reported in a news conference that Mr. Scoppa, 55, was involved in purchasing massive quantities of cocaine and other drugs on a wholesale basis. In total, 10 individuals, including five from Quebec, Ontario, and Alberta, were arrested, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced that these individuals will face extradition to the United States to stand trial.
As part of the crackdown, the Mounties also arrested Ivan Gravel Gonzalez of Trois-Rivières, Que., Ayush Sharma and Guramrit Sidhu of Brampton, Ont., and Subham Kumar of Calgary. Arrest and search warrants were executed in Montreal, Toronto, and Calgary, as well as in Texas, Florida, and California. This successful operation has disrupted a significant drug smuggling network, with the hope of reducing the flow of narcotics into North America.