60 pounds? Authorities had not made the arrest public. "You're traveling and little do you know that right next to you, is a guy with a handgun and 50 pounds of meth.". The arrest is detailed in documents filed in federal court. of cocaine that tested positive for fentanyl (estimated street value of the seized cocaine is $4,000,000 $6,000,000). Police say they tookthousands of dollars' worth of illicit drugs off the street, as well as four loaded handgunsand ammunition. Nearly 50 people are now being charged after a year-long investigation focused in Duluth, Rochester, and on the Iron Range brought down this drug operation. According to police, officers seized. One pound of meth sells on the street for up to $40,000, after it is divided into grams, the sheriffsaid. The seizure by the Brown County Sheriffs Office of10.68 pounds of methamphetamine in 2017 after afive-month investigation. 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. It's like a plot straight out of the Netflix crime drama "Ozark." 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He's also charged with possessing a gun in a drug trafficking crime. A further search of the vehicle turned up the following: --13.9 grams of marijuana (found in safe). When officers arrived, they found the vehicle running and the person inside the car appeared to be asleep. It took a substantial effort by each and every one of them, and the sacrifices that go with it to be able to have a day where we made a substantial dent into the supply of poison that are reaching our streets, said Tusken. The complaint states the source had made multiple purchases from Liebergen in the past. Posted 8 Jun 2021 8 Jun 2021 Tue 8 Jun 2021 at 6:25am , updated . 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. At this point, only the Liebergen and Ullmer affidavits have been filed on federal court records. 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. "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. Drug investigators executed multiple search warrants in September 2019. With demand for highly-addictive meth increasing, Kinnard says it is troubling so much meth was coming in through one group. They had to revamp their strategy, which led to the successful end of this drug operation. Liebergen also is charged with possessing a firearm while committing a drug-trafficking crime. She has not been publicly identified. zp. Police said the man brought $20,000 to $30,000 worth of drugs into the county, though the value of the substances could reach much higher depending how it is packaged and distributed. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, 48 Kilograms (106 lbs.) Meng Xiong, 26,Wausau:two counts of distributing meth with one count alleged to involve 5 grams or more. FOX 6 Now Milwaukee CLAM LAKE -- The war on drugs has a new battleground and it's deep in the heart of Wisconsin's great northwoods. One of the biggest drug busts Florida has ever seen was straight out of a movie. Duluth Police say they were ready to take down the organization back in March, but the pandemic put a pause on their plan. Sheriff Shawn Becker says his team has been working with the Central Wisconsin Drug Task Force and the Department of Justices Division of Criminal Investigation into the matter for several months, ending when a search warrant was executed on Thursday, December 9th. They said Tuesday that the investigation could lead to further arrests. Authorities said they could not discuss specifics of the investigation. In addition to the drugs, officers also seized over $16,000 in cash and a large quantity of high-valued jewelry from the home. rc Authorities say an 11-month investigation that began with a drug overdose in southeastern Wisconsin has netted 106 pounds of cocaine with an. Inaddition to the illegal drugs, police seized what they called "alarge amount" of prescription medications and designer pills. However, where exactly the load came from is still under investigation. The source told police that Liebergen would travel from out of state to the Appleton area with a large amount of meth. It was operating primarily in Wisconsin and Illinois. No additional information was provided, Local 5 will continue to update this story. The Eau Claire County Sheriff's Department says a California man is in custody for the biggest cocaine bust investigators have ever seen in our area. Joshua . Blader said the use of illegal drugs has become an epidemic in this country, with tens of thousands of people dying every year from overdoses. 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 . The price of an ounce can range from $700 to $1,350. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. 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 authorities involved in that case. Their K-9, Rika . On Sept. 9, investigators met with a confidential source who had purchased "large quantities of methamphetamine" from Liebergen. Followher on Twitter @brophy_natalie or Facebook at facebook.com/bynataliebrophy. On Sept. 9, the Brown County Drug Task Force arrested defendant Malachi Root in Green Bay. 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. 4.5 million fentanyl pills, 3,000 pounds of meth seized during joint drug bust Clark's buzzer-beating three sends #6 Iowa past #2 Indiana 86-85 Police are searching for a suspect after shots . "The task force is in place and has already demonstrated its effectiveness," he said, adding he foresees the group continuing to grow in the future. "So honestly, they probably thought they were buying heroin or fentanyl and got Tramadol," says Kinnard. It's whatever you can make a buck on, so they'll sell whatever they can sell. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. 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. That's what drug task force officers say they found while investigating a major drug operation in Northeast Wisconsin. A source tipped off the drug task force that Liebergen was bringing drugs into Northeast Wisconsin and selling them out of hotel rooms. RELATED: 60 pounds? This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. RELATED:Sixteen people charged with drug crimes after meth investigation in Wausau area, RELATED:'Suitcases full' of methamphetamineseized in Appleton area. A gram of meth sold "on the street" in Wisconsin commonly costs $100 to $120, Brown County Sheriff's Capt. and last updated 2:32 PM, Feb 27, 2023. The bust resulted in a confiscation of 10 tons of cocaine, which was worth around $1.2 billion at the time. Duluth police say this is the largest drug bust in history for the region. The driver was asked to step out of the car and was placed in handcuffs. Kristie Ann Wallace was arrested as part of the raid and will have several unspecified charges against her forwarded to the Wood County District Attorney. Pounds of meth found in a hotel room. Mai Xiong, 32, Wausau:delivery of 10-50 grams of meth,party to the crimeas a habitual criminality repeater. He stated his intent was to sell the meth to pay off a drug debt to his supplier, according to the complaint. Approximately $50,000+ of recovered property stolen from the area. Soua Khang, 23, Wausau:conspiring to distribute meth,three counts of distributing meth. Sheriff Becker adds that Wood County has seen 12 overdose deaths this year, and with the number of drugs taken off the street as a result of the raid it is likely that many lives were saved from an overdose. To the east, Langlade County had a large drug bust almost two weeks ago.. Down Highway 29 west, the Marshfield Police Department also had two larger-scale drug busts last weekend. Among the. The driver of the trailer was identified as Samuel Serrano from California. Can I legally marry my cousin in Wisconsin? Biggest drug bust in Mesa PD history: 700K+ fentanyl pills, 15 lbs of hard drugs found. Man charged in largest Eau Claire cocaine bust, Colfax man accused of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to deliver, Missing endangered person alert issued for man missing from Sheldon, Connells Supper Club in Chippewa Falls and Fall Creek listed for sale, Wisconsin Republicans push tighter budget, downplay surplus, Royal Credit Union awarded $640,000 from grant program. 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