Flagstaff, AZ-High Intensity Drug Enforcement Unit receives “Excellence in Cooperative Law Enforcement Award” from the Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee.

On July 21, 2010 the task force received the award in Flagstaff at the Annual Law Enforcement / Prosecutors Conference.  The task force,  is comprised of deputies and officers from the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, Florence Police Department, Apache Junction Police Department, Coolidge Police Department, Eloy Police Department, Maricopa Police Department and the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

From intelligence gathered in a ten month investigation and a court authorized wiretap, investigators and special agents indicted twenty-one members of the Los Tusa (Drug Trafficking Organization) including high ranking Arizona based members. 

Several of the lead defendants also face charges of conspiracy to commit armed robbery related to their alleged scheme to impersonate law enforcement officers to rob and possibly murder competing drug traffickers.

The Arizona State Attorney General’s assessed an approximate value in excess of $29.4 million dollars for the following seizures in this investigation: $418,640 U.S. (total for entire investigation); 3,500 pounds of marijuana (total for entire investigation); 12 vehicles prior to Title III; 19 vehicles during Title OOO (including makeshift police vehicle); 10 search warrants of residential and commercial properties; 20 arrests as a result of Title III (all indicted, 3 fugitives); 13 arrests prior to Title III; 9 weapons including assault rifles.

Sheriff Babeu stated, “I am very proud of the combined efforts from the multi jurisdictional narcotics task force.  We will continue to disrupt and dismantle any group of individuals who are responsible for drug trafficking in Pinal County.  We are bringing the fight to these armed criminals.  We’ll take their drugs, cash, cars, houses and put them in jail.  We will then use their dirty money for a lawful purpose to expand law enforcement service to our citizens.”