INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – An extensive drug trafficking organization, responsible for selling large quantities of illegal drugs in the Columbus area, has been dismantled. A grand jury has indicted 36 individuals, 24 of whom have already been convicted and sentenced to federal prison. Charges include possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and felon in possession of a firearm.
In 2018, federal agents and Bartholomew County Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team (JNET) officers initiated an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation called Operation Columbus Day. During the inquiry, members of a Mexican-based drug trafficking organization who were sending large quantities of meth, heroin, and marijuana to the Columbus/Seymour area were identified.
What followed was a multi-year investigation targeting the Chavez family who reportedly lived and operated out of the Columbus area, where several family members and their close associates allegedly used a variety of methods to traffic drugs. During this time, agents and officers intercepted multiple parcels, conducted numerous controlled purchases, and served about 15 search warrants.
Operation Columbus Day netted approximately 114 pounds of meth, four pounds of heroin and fentanyl, and 28 pounds of marijuana. In addition to drug seizures, over $224,000 in U.S. currency was seized as drug proceeds. Around 115 firearms were also recovered.
The sting was a collaborative effort among the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bartholomew County JNET, Seymour Police Department, U.S. Marshal Service, and Homeland Security Investigations.
In a media conference Tuesday announcing the three-year drug operation, Sheriff Matt Myers said, “JNET is a well-coordinated initiative providing an entirely different approach and attack on dealing with drugs. It was taken to the ‘next level’ when a sheriff’s deputy was assigned to the DEA Task Force. Having local, state, and federal agencies working together, sends a huge message.”
