The Buckeye Police Department, in coordination with other local, state and federal agencies, unveiled the results of a months-long investigation that netted 35 arrests or indictments, almost 1,800 pounds of methamphetamine, 113 pounds of cocaine and other drugs, weapons and vehicles.
Participating agencies included the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, DEA, Buckeye Police Department, Tempe Police Department, Surprise Police Department, Casa Grande Police Department, Arizona Department of Corrections and the Arizona Attorney General's Office.
Dawn Mertz, executive director of the Arizona High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) said her agency coordinates and funds 25 drug task forces, involving 800 participants from 90 different law enforcement agencies.
Mertz said that while national drug overdose deaths are trending downward, Arizona is one of five states where they have increased. She said 500 lives were lost daily in the US in 2025 due to drug poisoning or overdose.
The recent operation, dubbed Operation Mechanic, brought in 1,750 pounds of methamphetamine, more than 113 pounds of cocaine, more than 11 pounds of fentanyl (pills and powder), Heroin, marijuana and spice.
Additionally, the operation brought in $500,000 in cash, $300,000 in cryptocurrency, more than two dozen firearms and more than two dozen vehicles.
One Response
In 2018 under Republicans Doug Ducey, and Attorney General Mark Brnovich I asked for help finding my son when his mother may have been solicited into drug trafficking and was told it “didn’t warrant investigation”. Say what you want, but I’m glad Arizona’s Democrat Governor, and Attorney General finally did something that should have been done long ago. It’s just a shame because of Republicans I still have no idea what happened to my son, and his mother.