ICE HSI St. Louis seizes weapons, cash, drugs during HSTF operations

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - ICE's Homeland Security Investigations St. Louis continues to make significant progress in the fight against drugs, illegal weapons and violent gangs, helping make St. Louis and local communities safer. During the last week of June, HSI special agents executed search warrants as part of three separate investigations, resulting in the removal of substantial amounts of illicit cash, drugs and weapons from the streets.

During these operations, agents seized approximately $445,307 in U.S. currency, 64.9 kilograms of methamphetamine, 4.2 kilograms of marijuana, 460 grams of liquid THC, 1.2 kilograms of cocaine, drug paraphernalia including cutting agents, 12 firearms (three converted to fully automatic and two confirmed stolen) and two luxury vehicles. Seven individuals were arrested on alleged drug and firearms violations. All seized items were connected to drug activity or weapons trafficking.

"Our HSI agents do not typically receive public recognition for the dangerous work they do, nor do they seek it," said HSI St. Louis Assistant Special Agent in Charge Gregory Paris. "Their commitment to excellence led to this significant victory in the fight against violent crime. These items have direct and indirect impacts on the community - they ruin or end lives and tear families apart. I admire my agents' dedication to making our community safer and their relentless determination to never give up on any case. Victims deserve it, and justice demands it."

These cases are part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF St. Louis includes a designated Violent Gang Task Force, and is comprised of agents and officers from federal, state, and local law enforcement, with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri.

HSI conducts federal criminal investigations into the illegal movement of people, goods, money, contraband, weapons and sensitive technology into, out of and through the United States.

Learn more about the HSTF's mission to increase public safety in our communities on X at @HSTFNCC.