‘An Incredible Operation’: AG Bondi Shares Details Of ‘Largest Fentanyl Bust In Our Nation’s History’

President Donald Trump’s ambitious effort to lock down the border and deport as many illegal immigrants as possible has been, at least in part, a response to the deadly flow of fentanyl into the U.S. from Mexican cartels.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has also been laser-focused on the international drug trade, as evidenced by her recent announcement of a huge operation to take down one such trafficking ring.

She provided details about the recent bust this week, as The Hill reported:

Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday touted the “largest fentanyl bust in our nation’s history” — a coordinated takedown spanning five states that recovered 11.5 kilos of fentanyl, including about 3 million fentanyl-laced pills labeled as oxycodone that led to the arrests of multiple people tied to the violent Mexican Sinaloa cartel.

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“It marks the most significant victory in our nation’s fight against fentanyl and drug trafficking to date,” Bondi said during a news conference, adding that the sweeping effort “targeted one of the largest and most dangerous drug trafficking and foreign terrorist organizations in our country.”

The alleged drug trafficking operation spanned across New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada and Colorado, and the multiagency investigation began with undercover operations and surveillance six months ago, authorities said. In addition to the fentanyl haul, officers said they recovered 35 kilos of methamphetamine, 7.5 kilos of cocaine, 4.5 kilos of heroin, and 49 rifles and pistols.

“This was an incredible operation,” Bondi said. “It took months and months of work … to get this massive amount of drugs and guns off our streets.”

The alleged leader of the drug ring, Heriberto Salazar Amaya, was arrested in Oregon. At least six of the people arrested in the drug bust were in the country illegally, Bondi noted, but she isn’t calling for them to be deported.

News of the operation quickly sparked social media discussion:

The Sinaloa Cartel leader was living in Salem, Oregon. Who else is DONE with Oregon elected officials harboring criminals? https://t.co/FvoIaH94Sj pic.twitter.com/0D5ayIuNOw

— Oregon Citizen (@oregoncitizen_) May 6, 2025

AG Pam Bondi has announced the largest fentanyl seizure in American history, totaling more than 3 million pills, along with several dozen kilograms of methamphetamine, cocaine, and more.

These drugs would have been enough to cause millions of overdose deaths. In practice, they… pic.twitter.com/4yaT5MlxBi

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) May 6, 2025

Here’s a full transcript of the post above:

AG Pam Bondi has announced the largest fentanyl seizure in American history, totaling more than 3 million pills, along with several dozen kilograms of methamphetamine, cocaine, and more.

These drugs would have been enough to cause millions of overdose deaths. In practice, they would likely have directly caused thousands.

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Under the Biden administration, those overdoses would have been celebrated. One step closer to the great replacement, one less American to vote against being dispossessed by the Third World, more money for the illegal immigrant criminals we have waved in by the millions.

Now, we have an America-first administration that protects Americans instead of helping kill them.

Great news! Like Trump stated, ‘they don’t send their best!’ How many more top cartel members are here thanks to Biden and Mayorkas’ Open Border? Trump and Bondi and Tom Homan have to come in and clean up Biden’s Mess

— Littleleers (@Littleleers15) May 6, 2025

Reuters reported on why Bondi is opposed to deporting the alleged cartel members back to Mexico:

“Sending them back to Mexico to continue on with their drug business isn’t going to happen under this administration,” Bondi said.

Bondi has sought to bolster Trump administration assertions that illegal migration poses a large-scale public safety threat to the United States.

She and other officials alleged Salazar Amaya had ties to Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel.

But court documents, including a motion by prosecutors to detain Salazar Amaya before trial, do not allege a connection to the cartel, which Trump has designated a foreign terrorist organization.

It was not immediately clear if Salazar Amaya had an attorney.