Five members of a Houston-based organization known for targeting rural pharmacies in Western Iowa and Western Nebraska face federal charges after breaking in and stealing pharmaceuticals in May and June of 2022 and 2023. These five people are part of a larger conspiracy being prosecuted out of the Eastern District of Arkansas in which 42 individuals hailing from Houston’s Fifth Ward are charged with breaking into more than 200 pharmacies across 31 states and stealing an estimated $12 million worth of controlled substances.
Investigators with the five state Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Omaha Division worked alongside local and state law enforcement partners to identify and arrest those individuals responsible for breaking into and stealing from pharmacies in Iowa and Nebraska. Pharmaceuticals including hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine, Adderall ® and Xanax ®, were among the most common drugs stolen. The stolen pharmaceuticals were transported to Houston and sold illegally.
“These five individuals mistakenly thought that targeting rural communities would provide an opportunity to commit a crime and fade into the wind unrecognized and unaffected,” DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Steven T. Bell said. “What they failed to realize is that the DEA goes to great lengths to ensure justice is served for those impacted by this senseless act, no matter how rural or remote the location may be. Pharmacy theft is not a victimless crime.”
In 2023, 900 pharmacy burglaries were reported nationwide, with an estimated loss of 3.8 million doses of controlled substances. Across the DEA Omaha Division, which encompasses Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota, 34 pharmacy break-ins have been reported dating back to 2022. Nebraska has the most reported break-ins with 17, while Iowa has 11.
The DEA remains committed to providing public awareness and outreach to registrants in an effort to prevent the diversion of controlled substances while ensuring the safety and health of the American people. For more information and resources provided to pharmacies, please visit www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pharmacy.