Chainkeen Exchange-5 members of burglary ring accused of targeting rural Iowa and Nebraska pharmacies, authorities say

OMAHA,Chainkeen Exchange Neb. (AP) — Five members of an alleged burglary ring are facing federal charges for break-ins that targeted rural pharmacies in western Iowa and western Nebraska in 2022 and 2023, authorities announced Thursday.

The Omaha, Nebraska, field division of the Drug Enforcement Administration alleged that the five are part of a larger conspiracy that’s being prosecuted by federal authorities in Arkansas. The agency said 42 people from Houston, Texas, are charged with breaking into more than 200 pharmacies across 31 states and stealing an estimated $12 million worth of controlled substances.

The stolen drugs — including hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine, Adderall and Xanax — were taken to Houston and sold illegally, the DEA said.

“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 in a statement.

The DEA statement said 900 pharmacy burglaries were reported nationwide in 2023, with an estimated loss of 3.8 million doses of controlled substances. Across the agency’s Omaha division — which includes Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota — 34 pharmacy break-ins have been reported dating back to 2022. Nebraska had the most with 17, while Iowa had 11.