NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Authorities announced Wednesday the dismantling of a California to Nashville methamphetamine trafficking organization responsible for shipping an estimated 5,000 pounds of the drug into the city in recent years, describing this as the “largest methamphetamine investigation/enforcement action” in Nashville’s history.

According to the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD), from November 2022 through November 2024, law enforcement intercepted and seized shipments with more than 800 pounds of meth and 24 pounds of fentanyl, “preventing these highly addictive and potentially deadly substances from being distributing onto the streets of Nashville and Middle Tennessee.”

“The results of this investigation are very significant, not only due to the amount of meth and fentanyl seized, but also due to the fact that the alleged California supplier is among those who have been indicted and arrested,” said Metro Police Chief John Drake. “I am very proud of the law enforcement team members from our department, TBI and other agencies who came together to make Nashville a safer place by stopping this source of meth to our area.”

Officials said the investigation was led by MNPD Specialized Investigations Division narcotics detectives and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) agents who are part of the TBI’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force, along with other law enforcement partners.

“Being able to work with out partners on task forces, not only with HIDTA but also through those with our local and federal partners, is key and critical to the overall mission of controlling the influx of drugs into Tennessee, and also to stop the distribution of drugs throughout our communities,” TBI Director David Rausch said.

“This investigation exemplifies how collaboration with law enforcement partners produces the greatest success in safeguarding our communities against criminal elements,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Matthew Daly with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “Middle Tennessee is a safer place today because of the dedication and perseverance by so many of our law enforcement partners.”

According to the MNPD, the investigation started on Nov. 25, 2022, when FedEx notified law enforcement it had detected seven suspicious parcels being sent to six North Nashville locations and one Antioch location, all from the same shipping service in Toluca Lake, California. Authorities intercepted all seven parcels, which reportedly contained a total of 266 pounds of crystal meth.

In the following months, officials said they monitored the deliveries of other suspicious packages to various Nashville addresses, adding that members of the drug organization — sometimes in rental cars — were seen retrieving the parcels, which also contained large amounts of meth.

Police said 13 people are named in a multi-count Davidson County grand jury indictment alleging a series of drug conspiracy, drug distribution, and gun crimes. Among those charged is 34-year-old Francisco Velasquez Serrano of La Puenta, California, who is accused of being the source of the meth shipments to Nashville.

According to authorities, Serrano traveled to Nashville as recently as September to deliver pounds of drugs and meet with his co-conspirators. He was extradited to Nashville from California last week.

On a local level, two Nashville men were reportedly at the top of the meth distribution operation and headed two separate groups. Officials said 24-year-old James Maurice Butler and 40-year-old Jeffrey Carl Jones arranged for delivery of the shipments to various addresses, retrieval and storage of the drugs, and distribution.

The MNPD identified the following individuals as other “principals” in this case:

• Kenneth Lawrence, 39, of Nashville: Charged with engaging in meth and fentanyl conspiracies, and multiple counts of possession of meth for resale
• Kendrick Thompson, 42, of Nashville: Accused of engaging in a meth conspiracy and multiple counts of selling meth.
• Christopher Daniels, 25, of Nashville: Charged with two counts of possession of meth for resale
• Aleah Steele, 24, of Antioch: Charged with engaging in a meth conspiracy and possession of meth for resale
• Shaquarya Fleming, 25, of Nashville: Charged with engaging in a meth conspiracy
• Juannae Piero, 24, of Riverside County, California: Charged with engaging in a meth conspiracy but not in custody yet
• Timothy L. Batts, 37, of Nashville: Charged with engaging in a meth conspiracy but not in custody yet
• Stephen Hicks, 37, of Antioch: Charged with possession of meth for resale but not in custody yet
• Jonathan Kramer, 66, of North Hollywood, California (employee of a California shipping service): Charged with engaging in a meth conspiracy and possession of meth for resale but not in custody yet
• Tino Wallace, 51, of Los Angeles, California (employee of a California shipping service): Charged with engaging in a meth conspiracy and possession of meth for resale but not in custody yet

Law enforcement said they executed search warrants at the five locations listed below back on Oct. 31:

• Jeffrey Jones’ home in the 100 block of Willow Bend Drive in Mt. Juliet
• Kenneth Lawrence’s home in the 800 block of Honeysuckle Road in Nashville
• A home shared by Jones and Lawrence in the 1600 block of Yarra Street in Madison, which was deemed a stash house
• Kendrick Thompson’s home in the 3100 block of Charles Park Drive in Nashville
• A location in the 400 block of Huntington Ridge Drive, which was deemed a stash house for Thompson.

While searching those homes, authorities reportedly seized 47.5 pounds of meth, 7.6 pounds of fentanyl, 6.5 pounds of marijuana, 172 grams of ecstasy pills, and six guns.

In addition, during the execution of a search warrant at a storage unit connected to the drug organization at Extra Space Storage in the 500 block of 26th Avenue North on Sept. 26, authorities said they seized 311 pounds of meth and nearly 13 pounds of fentanyl, which Serrano is accused of delivering in a box truck from California.

As of Wednesday, Dec. 4, officials said the investigation is still ongoing, with charges expected against other people. Multiple law enforcement agencies played an active role in this two-year case besides the MNPD and the TBI, including the DEA Tactical Diversion Group; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); the Smyrna Police Department; the 18th Judicial District Drug Task Force; the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office; the Murfreesboro Police Department; the Regional Organized Crime Information Center (ROCIC); Tennessee Highway Patrol SWAT; and the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office.