DEA, FBI agents in Colorado seize over 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine in largest meth bust in state history

The Drug Enforcement Administration, along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Attorney for the District of Colorado, revealed details about the largest methamphetamine bust in Colorado history on Wednesday. A total of 15 individuals were indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with the bust, which netted more than 1,000 pounds of meth over a series of busts. 

Agents used federal wiretaps, extensive surveillance, undercover operations and swift enforcement efforts to seize more than 1,000 pounds of meth linked to the organization. 

According to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado, the following seizures were completed:

• In December 2024, agents seized 96 pounds of methamphetamine from a member of the organization on a Greyhound Bus in Vail, Colorado.
• In February 2025, 101 pounds of methamphetamine and a half kilogram of fentanyl powder were seized from another member of the organization on a highway in Colorado.
• In April 2025, over 700 pounds of methamphetamine was seized from a residence in Lakewood, Colorado, along with freezers, propane tanks, and other equipment consistent with methamphetamine manufacturing or conversion. Investigators found thousands of packages of methamphetamine concealed in the corners of containers of fruit.
• In August 2025, nearly 50 pounds of methamphetamine was seized from a residence in Arvada, Colorado

"This successful investigation boasts the largest methamphetamine seizure in Colorado history and intercepted more than 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine before it could be distributed into our community," said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly in a statement. "This investigation showcases what we are able to accomplish when we combine the resources, tools, and expertise of federal agencies with the passion, experience, and sweat equity of local law enforcement officers."  

One of the defendants, according to the FBI, is facing a so-called "drug kingpin" charge as an alleged leader of a drug trafficking organization. According to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado, the defendants named in the indictment include: Marco Antonio De Silva Lara, Sergio Ivan  Arce Lopez, Juan Luis Cabrera Saucedo, Luis Enrique Lopez Lopez, Rigoberto Aranda, Erik Alejandro Benitez Chavez, Robert Shane Gerstner, Joseph Ricardo Menzor, William Joseph Rollins, Brittney Pierce, Francisco Javier Armenta Barraza, Jamie Cash Hoover, Cesar Andres Huizar Guerra, and Trenton Anthony Thompson. Eleven of these defendants are in federal custody, while the remaining defendants are believed to remain in Mexico.

All 15 defendants face drug charges, which carry a potential sentence of no less than 10 years and up to life in federal prison, according to prosecutors.