Feds bust Indy drug trafficking ring with ties to Mexico, arrest 16

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Nineteen people face federal drug charges and 16 of them are in custody after a series of raids Thursday morning in Indianapolis, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday.

Federal, state, and local law enforcement officers from 16 different agencies served search warrants at 18 locations on Thursday.

The raids targeted drug trafficking organizations in central Indiana with ties to Arizona. The Department of Justice says pills from Mexico were sent to Arizona and mailed to Indiana.

News 8’s Mobile News Tracker spotted federal agents at a home on Tuexedo Street on Thursday morning as part of the raids.

An Indianapolis detective in their work with the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force was working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and uncovered the drug ring, according to Lt. Shane Foley, public information officer with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

The 16 suspects in custody include:

• Jordan Alexander, 33, of Indianapolis.
• Jayden Bertram, 22, of Carmel.
• Isaiah Chest, 21, of Indianapolis.
• Elijah “Whiteboy Eli” Conn, of Greenwood.
• Tameico “Meekey” Johnson, 22, of Fishers.
• Brittina Jones, 43, of Indianapolis.
• Camonte Miller, 21, of Indianapolis.
• Courtlin “Ten Pack” Moncrief, 29, of Avon.
• George Muncy, 56, of Greenwood.
• Rhonda Muncy, 55, of Greenwood.
• Deondre Perry, of Greenwood.
• Dewell Simpson, 18, of Indianapolis.
• Jamie Sullivan, 22, of Indianapolis.
• Monica Summer, 20, of Indianapolis.
• Kenan Wharton, 18, of Indianapolis.
• Brooke Woods, 22, of Greenwood.

Agents identified the three missing suspects: 20-year-old Jaraugh ” Bandman” Bertram, 18-year-old Joaquin “Chef” Carranza, and 22-year-old Jordan Summer. All three should be considered armed and dangerous.

“We took off some high, high-level drug dealers that were moving enormous amounts of fentanyl,” said Drug Enforcement Agency Special Agent Michael Gannon.

During the raids, agents and police found 320,000 fentanyl pills, 117.9 pounds of methamphetamine, 453.2 pounds of marijuana, and $521,000 in cash.

The DEA said fentanyl wreaked havoc in Marion County in 2022.

“There was 852 drug overdoses, 641 of those was opioid-related,” Gannon said.

The task force also found 113 firearms and 60 machine gun conversion devices during the raid. They linked weapons to crimes in Indianapolis.

“A very, very, significant number of related shootings to the firearms taken off this crew,” said John Nokes, assistant special agent in charge at the ATF.

All suspects, if convicted, could be sentenced to life in federal prison.

“This is what we are here to do for the public is to identify these greatest threats and bring law enforcement action to address the biggest problems that are killing our friends and family in the community,” said Zachary Myers, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.

With this big bust, the task force is worried about a power struggle to fill the void this crew leaves behind.
IMPD says they’ll be out in the community working to convince people to not try and fill it.

“Trying to change people’s lives, change people’s mindset, so they can get out of ‘the game,’” said IMPD Deputy Chief Kendale Adams.