AMARILLO: Ten Amarillo men and women have been arrested on felony drug smuggling charges in connection with a Mexican drug cartel, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.
All 10 suspects could face up to life in prison on the first-degree felony charge of engaging in organized criminal activity.
The arrests were part of a joint investigation between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies that began in 2011 and resulted in the arrests of 19 other suspects in 2013 and 2014 on conspiracy and drug trafficking charges.
During the investigation, law enforcement agencies seized 18 firearms, about $500,000 in cash, more than 37 pounds of methamphetamine and almost 25 pounds of cocaine, according to the release.
DPS told the Amarillo Globe-News that the 2011 investigation connected the Gulf Cartel to a major meth and cocaine trafficking ring in Amarillo.
The most recent arrests involved several law enforcement agencies: the DPS, the FBI, Amarillo Police Department, Randall County Sheriff’s Office and the Potter County Sheriff’s Office.
