LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies got more than 70 pounds of fentanyl and more than 30 guns off the streets of Louisville.
In a federal indictment returned on May 20, 2026, two Louisville brothers Shane and Michael Andres, are accused of moving large amounts of fentanyl into Louisville.
Over three and a half years, an agent from the Drug Enforcement Administration and an LMPD officer worked to build a case on this alleged international drug trafficking organization. They called it Operation Latex Gloves.
We're told investigators used cameras; wiretaps into cell phones and search warrants to find evidence.
Those allegedly show the organization was getting fentanyl from Mexican cartels through a middleman in New York before it was sent to Louisville.
On Aug. 12, the DEA conducted a takedown during which eight people were arrested in Louisville, one was arrested in Detroit, Michigan, and another was arrested in Dallas, Texas.
The agency also conducted seven search warrants across Louisville in the west end, south end and Shively.
That's where agents recovered more than 70 pounds of fentanyl pressed into 300,000 pills disguised as opiates.
"Any one of those pills could contain a lethal dosage of fentanyl, any one of those pills could kill your loved one," said U.S. Attorney Kyle Bumgarner.
They also recovered more than 30 firearms.
"Thankfully those firearms and that dope will not see our streets, Louisville is no doubt safer because of it, Louisville is no doubt safer because of the works the men and women of law enforcement have done over the last three and a half years," said Bumgarner.
The brothers, along with Luther Roland, Clarence Caldwell, John Finley, Marcus Andrews, Stacey McRae, Jorge Torres Valdez, Ronnall Clark, Keshawn Hatcher, Cornelius Pendleton and Fineiss Vaughn, were all charged with one count of conspiring to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl and 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing heroin from Jan. 24, 2023, through May 20, 2026, in Jefferson County.
The defendants also face additional charges.
The Andres brothers, Roland, Caldwell, Finley, Andrews, Valdez, Clark, Hatcher and Pendleton are all in custody. McRae and Vaughn remain at large. The thirteenth defendant, Donshaun Coleman, is dead.
If convicted, all 12 face a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Six have already made an initial court appearance.
"This is tremendous number of lives saved from this seizure, but we still have work to do," said Bumgarner.
The investigation is still ongoing.
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