Robert Murphy (01:01):
Good afternoon, and welcome to DEA. My name is Robert Murphy, the acting administrator for the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. On behalf of the men and women of DEA, I'm privileged to stand here today alongside the Attorney General of the United States, whose leadership, support, and unwavering commitment to public safety has been instrumental in DEA carrying out its vital mission. It is an honor to introduce the Attorney General of the United States, Pam Bondi.
Pam Bondi (01:32):
Thank you. Thank you all for being here today. This is so important, why we're here today. Acting Administrator Murphy, thank you for everything you do. We've been to DEA labs together. You have been fighting this every day, and I can't thank you enough.
(01:50)
It's been an incredible few weeks for the DEA nationwide. We're here today to announce the historic success through operation Take Back America. We should remember why this work matters. We're honored today to be here with Chelsea Curtis. She is a brave sister. She lost two of her brothers to drug overdoses. One to heroin, and her second brother she lost to cocaine that was laced with fentanyl. Chelsea works with us here at the Department of Justice, and she's in the District of Virginia and she does amazing work, and she is paying it forward by looking out for other victims and their families and fighting this epidemic throughout our country. Thank you Chelsea for being here with us.
(02:52)
Over the 4th of July weekend, DEA agents executed successful operations throughout this country, one in Columbia, South Carolina, where they seized 71 kilos of fentanyl and 20 kilos of methamphetamine. This is near, very near, the University of South Carolina, where dealers, we all know, often target college kids. They put these drugs in pill forms to go after our kids.
(03:30)
This includes a seizure in Fresno, California, also 4th of July weekend. Acting director Murphy's going to get into details about these, but this is why this is so important, and this is something new that I hadn't seen. 24 pounds of carfentanil disguised as real prescription pills. Carfentanil, we all know, is even stronger than fentanyl, they often call it the elephant tranquilizer, and it was carfentanil in prescription pills to look like oxycodone. That should terrify every parent in this country.
(04:12)
In many cases, illegal aliens are doing the work of cartels in our communities. In one recent example, just two weeks ago, the DEA arrested an illegal alien sitting in the front passenger seat of a trailer truck that contained over 700 pounds of methamphetamine. 700 pounds. Something else I hadn't seen. They are now putting methamphetamine in a pill form. First time we've seen that. A pill form. Now, a pill form of methamphetamine might not kill you instantly, but it can get you so addicted to meth that it can destroy your life instantly.
(04:59)
DOJ attorneys will continue to prosecute these violent criminals, and they're all violent. If you are dealing in these drugs to Americans, to any citizen in this world, you're a violent criminal, and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. Since January 20th, DEA has been removing this poison from our streets at a historic rate. They've seized over 44 million fentanyl pills, over 4,500 pounds of fentanyl powder, over 64,000 pounds of methamphetamine, 64,000, nearly totaling the same amount that was seized in all of 2024. 541,000 pounds of cocaine. And what they're doing, they just take a little fentanyl and lace it in that cocaine, which is how Chelsea lost her brother. We will not rest until these FTOs are eliminated, their members are prosecuted or deported, and the public is safe again.
(06:18)
Thanks to President Trump, we're able to take the handcuffs off our law enforcement officers, our great men and women at DEA who are out there every single day risking their lives to protect us and to protect our families. One Big Beautiful Bill enhances our law enforcement capabilities by also including money for technology that will help our agents catch these criminals, and they are getting so sophisticated, and Acting Director Murphy is going to explain to you… I've never seen anything like this either in my entire career as a prosecutor, how sophisticated they are in smuggling these drugs into our country. Now I'm going to let him explain that to you with a truckload of cucumbers that came into our country.
(07:10)
In addition to One Big Beautiful Bill, the Halt Fentanyl Act that was passed through Congress is now headed to the White House. That will help us, because it analogs… Previously these drugs that were coming into our country, they would change the precursors as fast as they can, so they wouldn't be illegal coming into our country. No longer with the Halt Fentanyl Act. Also now, if a criminal is in possession of a hundred grams or more of any fentanyl-related substance, any fentanyl-related substance, they will face 10 years in prison minimum. President Trump, the Department of Justice, and the great men and women at the DEA will continue to fight to make America safe again. We will fight from Tampa to the Twin Cities, from Nassau County to the Golden Coast, and I can't wait for you to hear these recent cases that were just made.
(08:08)
And to the angel families and our incredible angel sister who lost two brothers, two brothers ,to drugs, and everyone affected by fentanyl, know that every day we will be out there fighting for you and your loved ones. The most important reminder we can give you here today to high school kids, to college kids, to parents, to talk to your kids. Do not buy, take, accept any drug, any prescription drug, from anyone off the street. Even if it's a friend, do not accept it. This is why.
(08:50)
This is a real Adderall pill. This is a fake Adderall pill. You can't tell the difference. These are laced with drugs that could kill you. Over here the oxycodone, the fake ones and the real ones. This is what was seized in Fresno, California. In Fresno, right?
Robert Murphy (09:15):
Yes.
Pam Bondi (09:16):
Amounts that could kill so many of our high school and college kids. They think that buying this, they think that buying this on the street corner won't hurt them, but it will and it can kill you, and that's why they're targeting places close to our universities as well. I'm going to let Acting Director Murphy now fill you in on all the details of these very, very important arrests that were made just within the last couple weeks. Thank you all for your attention to this very important matter.
Robert Murphy (09:48):
Thank you Attorney General Bondi. Men and women of the DEA lead the fight against the Mexican cartels. These cartels are responsible for the manufacturing, the smuggling, and the distribution, and then the subsequent collection of the money, because that's what's driving this problem, is profit, and making sure that money makes it back into Mexico.
(10:11)
How do we measure success? The DEA works tirelessly every day to disrupt and dismantle these cartels. We are second to none at developing intelligence, interpreting it, and actioning it. Without the intelligence, these cases I'm going to talk about, we would never be able to make. You are not going to randomly stop… The amount of vehicles that we haven't come across a port of entry, there's no way. And some could be million a day. There's no way we're going to be able to stop every vehicle, search it, and find this without the actual intelligence. The technology that we're hopefully going to be getting based on the new bill will help us get better at doing our job and preventing this stuff from making it to the street in the first place.
(10:50)
But we recognize that's not enough by itself. We have a responsibility to ensure the public is aware of the threats posed by the cartels that endanger both public safety and national security, and this is where all of you come in today. We are seeing a disturbing trend. Cartels are now producing methamphetamine pills. We started seeing it in 2024 at a tremendous amount. We've already seized more methamphetamine pills this year than we did the entire year of 2024. These are made to look like popular drugs that our youngest men and women want, our college-age students. This is an effort by the cartels, a deliberate effort.
(11:36)
Our young men and women are not seeking out methamphetamine pills. They're not seeking to get that. Unfortunately, they're being deceived into a life of potential addiction. We are fighting back, bringing this fight to the front lines. Fentanyl remains the leading cause of death for Americans between ages of 18 and 45. Fentanyl and methamphetamine together are toxic evidence that cartels have no value of life. Over the past few weeks, as the Attorney General mentioned, we've made historic seizures in multiple cities targeting these cartels who are recently designated by the president as foreign terrorist organizations.
(12:15)
Attorney general spoke about Lexington, South Carolina, right outside University of South Carolina in Columbia. There was also, I'm sorry, hundred and fifty-sixpounds of fentanyl. Along with meth, weapons, cash, and an illegal alien that had previously been deported twice. Fresno, California, the 24 pounds of carfentanil, that's frightening. That's a large amount of any drug, let alone carfentanil. That cannot hit the streets. Luckily we were able to stop it from getting in the street. Gainesville, Georgia, suburb right outside of Atlanta. The 706 pounds of methamphetamine the attorney general made mention of, hidden in a shipment of cucumbers that crossed the Mexican border. Obviously DEA intelligence led to that.
(13:02)
We had not seen this unique… It was not a standard-sized kilo package. They were cut in half, and they were built into the boxes that contained the cucumbers, so when you picked up a box, there was no way… So the average trooper or anybody stopping that truck, that 18-wheeler that had tons of cucumbers on it, opened up the back and looked. Unless you knew you were looking for this, there's no way you would have found it. And again, one of the individuals arrested, they're an illegal alien deported twice, most recently after serving a federal conviction for drug trafficking cocaine.
(13:35)
Minneapolis, Minnesota. 889 pounds of methamphetamine. Again, one of the persons arrested in that case, previously deported. Kern County, California, in Bakersfield. Along with our partners, we shut down a meth conversion lab, which is where we see where meth comes across the border in a liquid form, has to be converted back into something that's usable. It's useless in a liquid, it's converted back in into crystallized methamphetamine, so very dangerous for the neighborhoods when you live in those areas. Toxic chemicals, some very, very toxic. The house easily explodes with the chemicals they're mixing. They seized 240 pounds of crystal meth that was finished, and another hundred and fifty pounds of liquid meth that was in process.
(14:22)
Galveston, Texas. Along with our other federal partners, CBP and others, we were able to seize 1700 pounds of methamphetamine worth over the $15 million hidden inside a vehicle that was crossing into the United States. Two days ago in Austin, Texas, along with law enforcement partners, we seized an additional 785 pounds of methamphetamine, hidden amongst a palette of blueberries.
(14:54)
Let me say this again. This is a national security threat, not just a drug problem. We are taking the fight directly to the cartels, not just at home but internationally, across our borders and online, through online platforms. We are not just seizing drugs, we are also dismantling the cartels' logistics and their finance networks. Just recently, DEA agents in Miami seized over 10 million in cryptocurrency directly linked to the Sinaloa Cartel. In Omaha we seized numerous handguns, including machine gun conversion devices, along with 40,000 fentanyl pills in a raid that was run by a locally based poly drug linked to a Mexican cartel. Just recently in Chicago, multi-state takedown in Indiana, Kentucky, and Arizona resulted in seizure of 59 illegal firearms possessed by serious violent felons, along with 74 pounds of methamphetamine, 11 pounds of fentanyl, 11 pounds of cocaine, cash, and 23 individuals who were arrested. Every seizure demonstrates the reach the cartels have throughout the United States. Make no mistake, the cartels are operating in every corner of this country, and so are we.
(16:13)
At this point we'll take questions. Yes ma'am.
Audience (16:19):
Mr. [inaudible 00:16:20] I would like to get your perspective on what exactly is driving this, but I also have an off-topic question for the attorney general in response to comments that President Trump made a short time ago, just a few months ago on the [inaudible 00:16:32] He said that he would support you releasing additional credible evidence from the Epstein investigation. Is that something that you are open to doing?
Pam Bondi (16:39):
Let me take that.
Audience (16:39):
[inaudible 00:16:41]
Robert Murphy (16:40):
Yeah.
Pam Bondi (16:40):
Let me take that first. This today is about fentanyl. This is about a wall of people right outside this room who have died from… I appreciate your question, but this today is about fentanyl overdoses throughout our country and people who have lost loved ones to fentanyl. That's the message that we're here to send today. Nothing about Epstein. I'm not going to talk about Epstein. Go ahead.
Robert Murphy (17:04):
And so to your first question about what's driving this, clearly it's driven by profit, it's all it is. Mexican cartels are driven by profit only. These are business decisions, everything we talked about today, whether it's how they're smuggling across the building, the innovation they use to get it across the border. Also, the attempt at quite frankly… During the 4th of July holiday, we think it was a concerted effort that they flood us, because they thought there'd be less law enforcement working at that time, and they sent as much as they could across the border into numerous cities. Didn't work out well for them.
(17:37)
Also, the decision to start making methamphetamine pills, business decision. Like any other company in America, they look at what is wanted. Unfortunately, taking a pill has a lot less stigma than shooting a drug in your arm, snorting it, smoking it, but that makes it that much more dangerous, because it's less threatening to our young people, who again, from a national security standpoint, 18 to 45 year old men and women, that's who makes up our US military and we're losing them at historic rates. That is not what we can allow to continue, and that's what we're here to fight and continue to fight it. Yes ma'am.
Audience (18:17):
I have on top of [inaudible 00:18:18] question. On top of… You spoke a lot about seizure numbers, but of all the different actions that you took that weekend, can you talk to us about how many individuals are going to be facing criminal prosecution? Not simply just being deported, perhaps, you know, arrested and sentenced.
Robert Murphy (18:34):
Everybody arrested in this will be facing… It is a serious amount of drugs.
Audience (18:38):
Do you have a number?
Robert Murphy (18:39):
Well, I don't off the top of my head, because it was in multiple cities, but I think pretty much in every place we're talking about… I don't have the exact number.
Pam Bondi (18:49):
And to jump in on that same topic, though, minimum 10 years in prison for almost all of these defendants. Some 20, some 40, depending on the amount of drugs, the type of drugs, the level of drugs. Go ahead.
Audience (18:59):
Okay. [inaudible 00:19:00] off-topic question for you, attorney general.
Pam Bondi (19:02):
Sure.
Audience (19:02):
Today on social media President Trump made allegations about mortgage fraud against Senator Schiff. I'm wondering if you can comment on that, and then whether or not that issue has been [inaudible 00:19:14]
Pam Bondi (19:14):
Yeah, I just was told about those comments walking into this room, and we don't comment on whether there is or is not a pending investigation, but thank you. Anything else on topic today? Go ahead.
Audience (19:26):
Madam Attorney General, on this matter of fentanyl-
Pam Bondi (19:29):
Yeah.
Audience (19:29):
… it is a priority clearly for the DEA and Department of Justice. Are you confident you're going to still be here to execute this? Because there's so many people calling for change at the Department of Justice.
Pam Bondi (19:40):
I'm going to be here for as long as the president wants me here, and I believe he's made that crystal clear. It's four years. Well, three and a half now, right? We've got six months in.
Robert Murphy (19:48):
It's been going [inaudible 00:19:50]
Pam Bondi (19:49):
Yeah, it feels like six years.
Robert Murphy (19:50):
Exactly.
Pam Bondi (19:51):
But I was with Director Patel this morning, and we are working on fighting violent crime, we are working on all these issues that we deeply care about to make America safe again and get these drugs off our streets. You know, we've been working on this since my really last two years. Fentanyl was coming on the market when I was state attorney general, and now with these cartels, it's coming back, it's coming in more than ever, and the border has stopped that, but we're going to catch them and we're going to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.
Robert Murphy (20:22):
Yes sir.
Audience (20:27):
Madam Attorney General, is there disruption at the leadership of DOJ and the FBI with your relationship with Dan Bongino that is affecting the operations of the [inaudible 00:20:36]
Pam Bondi (20:36):
No, I'm not going to talk about personnel matters. No. I was with Director Patel all morning, and we are committed to keeping America safe, making America safe, working with our incredible partners at DEA, FBI, ATF, US Marshals to do everything we can to make America safe, and that's what we're focused on, and today we're focused on protecting our kids. And I would ask all of you when you leave, go look at that wall outside, right outside this room, of all the fentanyl deaths, all the faces of fentanyl that you guys, you have done an amazing job putting up. Thank you all.
Audience (21:15):
[inaudible 00:21:14] Deputy Director Bonino.
(21:15)
Following up on that-
Robert Murphy (21:17):
Yes, yes, go ahead.
Audience (21:19):
I wanted to follow up on that question. I think the American people have a lot of questions about your relationship with the deputy FBI director. Do you believe that he should stay in his role?
Pam Bondi (21:28):
I'm not going to discuss personnel matters. I think we all are committed to working together now to make America safe again, and that's what we're doing.
Audience (21:34):
[inaudible 00:21:36]
Pam Bondi (21:36):
Only on topic, guys. Go ahead.
Audience (21:38):
First of all, I believe when you're in a public forum, you can choose or not choose to answer any questions, but I don't believe it is your right to ask us restrict those questions. That said, I will keep this on topic.
Pam Bondi (21:50):
Thank you.
Audience (21:50):
How can you keep America safe again when the president's budget for 2026 cuts the DEA by $212 million, and the FBI by half a billion?
Pam Bondi (22:04):
Yeah.
Audience (22:04):
Can you afford those cuts? Do you think they will harm your capacity to [inaudible 00:22:05]
Pam Bondi (22:05):
Well, that's a great question. It won't harm our capacity to fight, I'll tell you that. We can always do more with more, but we can do more with less, and that's what we're committed to doing. The Big Beautiful Bill also adds a tremendous amount for us in combating especially the drug crisis. Billions of dollars, I believe.
Robert Murphy (22:24):
I think it's 400 million.
Pam Bondi (22:25):
Yeah, let me see. Yeah, $3.3 billion in the Big Beautiful Bill to combat drug trafficking, support the prosecution of immigration matters, and gang-related crimes. So that crosses all agencies as well, so that bill will greatly help us as well, in addition to the budget. We also have a 3.5 billion reimbursement fund for state and local agencies that are enforcing the Immigration Act, drug and human trafficking laws, and human trafficking is also something we're not talking about today, but is very, very important to us. So yes, there are billions of additional dollars in addition to the original budget. So that was a great question, thank you.
Speaker 4 (23:12):
Thank you guys, think that's all.
Audience (23:14):
Ma'am, the president said today you would release credible files related to Mr. Epstein. Are you prepared to do that? And when would you do it?
Pam Bondi (23:22):
Today our memo speaks for itself, and we'll get back to you on anything else. I haven't seen all of his statements today. Thank you.
Audience (23:28):
And how would you respond to the MAGA base that has expressed a lot of frustration about it?
Pam Bondi (23:33):
We're going to fight to keep America safe again, and we're fighting together as a team. That's what's so important right now. You know, we've got a war on drugs, we've got a war on human trafficking, we've got cartels in this country, and we've got foreign adversaries around this world as well, and we're all going to work together as a team to fight to keep America safe again, and I can tell you, that's what we're all committed to. Thank you. Thank you all for being here, and thank you for… Please show these pictures today. Thank you.
Robert Murphy (24:06):
If anybody needs B-roll, there's some B-roll, especially of the cucumbers, the thing I talked about, some great video of that. If you need it, [inaudible 00:24:15] we can get that to them. So there's plenty of it. Yes.
Audience (24:18):
Is there anything new on Canada? The president has talked about, with respect to tariffs, the fentanyl concern from Canada. Have you seen anything recently that would be useful for the public to know about fentanyl from Canada?
Robert Murphy (24:31):
I can just say that I myself have met with Canada, but I'm going to leave the rest of that to the president on those. But we've met and had discussions at least on two different occasions.
Pam Bondi (24:40):
And we're going to do everything we can to keep every border safe, not just the border in Mexico. And the reason we wanted you to look at the cucumbers, I've never seen anything like it. There's a video of it that they'll get you, but when you took the cucumbers out of the box, they just look like a normal vegetable crate, and they even changed the packaging and the shape of the kilos to fit underneath the cardboard, where it was virtually impossible to detect, but they did detect it. And some of these new funds will help us with technology to continue to take these drugs off our street. Thank you all and thanks for covering this.
Audience (25:20):
Can you get us the number of charged inviduals [inaudible 00:25:24]
Robert Murphy (25:23):
Yeah, we can do that. Yeah, we can do that.
Pam Bondi (25:25):
Yeah. Yeah, and they can get you the time they're facing too, whether it's 10, 20, or 40 years, depending on the pills. Thank you.
Robert Murphy (25:30):
Thank you guys. Appreciate it.
