Operation “Sudden Fall“, began a year ago after an overdose by a female student at the university, authorities said.

One alleged dealer was just a month away from earning a master’s degree in homeland security and had worked with the campus police as a security officer, officials said. Another student who was arrested on suspicion of possession of cocaine and two guns was a criminal justice major, officials said.

Kenneth Ciaccio, 19, a member of the Theta Chi fraternity, allegedly sent out a mass text-message to “faithful customers,” saying that he was traveling to Las Vegas and would not be able to make his normal cocaine sales, the DEA said.

Have now heard about  the huge drug bust at San Diego State University? If not, story is below.

Nearly 100 students at San Diego State arrested in drug bust

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Authorities say nearly 100 students have been arrested at San Diego State University on drug-related charges.

Drugs, cash and guns were seized from sellers and buyers in the bust that followed a five-month undercover operation.

The San Diego County district attorney’s office says the 96 arrests include fraternity members. Defendants are scheduled to appear in state court to face charges Tuesday afternoon.

San Diego County Deputy Dist. Atty. Damon Mosler, at lectern, chief of the district attorney’s narcotics division, points to the guns and drugs seized during the arrest of 96 people, including 75 students at San Diego State, on drug charges after an extensive undercover investigation called Operation Sudden Fall.

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Seven fraternity houses were infiltrated in a six-month undercover investigation, and widespread drug-dealing was found, authorities say.

Undercover agents infiltrated the university’s fraternity houses and allegedly discovered evidence of widespread drug-dealing. The drugs included marijuana, cocaine and Ecstasy. Most of the marijuana was grown locally, not in Mexico, officials said.

The investigation, called Operation Sudden Fall, began a year ago after an overdose by a female student at the university, authorities said.

About six months ago, young-looking agents from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and police officers from other jurisdictions began going to fraternity parties and struck up faux friendships. Many of the sales were made via text messages sent to student dealers, officials said. At least one of the undercover officers was a woman.

“This operation shows accessible and pervasive illegal drugs continue to be on our college, campuses and how common it is for students to be selling to other students,” said San Diego County Dist. Atty. Bonnie Dumanis.

During the investigation, a second student, at San Diego Mesa College, died of a cocaine overdose after a party at a fraternity house.

Some 130 drug purchases were made during the investigation. None of the arrests was linked to the students’ deaths, officials said at a news conference.

One of the non-students arrested today was connected to a gang in Pacoima, said Ralph W. Partridge, a special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in San Diego.

San Diego State President Stephen Weber said he did not hesitate to allow undercover officers on campus. As for those responsible for drug-dealing, he said, “If we find that the fraternities as organizations were involved, they will be kicked off campus.”

Several members of the Theta Chi and Phi Kappa Psi fraternities were arrested.

Weber said he did not care if his decisions sparked faculty ire.

“We did the right thing,” he said. “I think, frankly, more universities should step up and take these kinds of actions.”

According to the DEA, the evidence includes 4 pounds of cocaine, 50 pounds of marijuana, 48 hydroponic marijuana plants, 350 Ecstasy pills, psilocybin (mushrooms), 30 vials of hash oil, methamphetamine, various illicit prescription drugs, a shotgun, three semiautomatic pistols, three brass knuckles and $60,000 in cash. Officials put the value of the drugs seized at more than $100,000.