The special agent in charge of the US Drug Enforcement Administration's New England division, Jarod Forget, said the crackdown "led to 171 cartel member arrests" across the region, including 27 in Franklin.
A US Drug Enforcement Administration agent said the DEA made "high-level arrests" of 171 Sinaloa Cartel members across New England in August.
A Globe investigation found that many of the DEA's targets were addicts, low-level dealers, shoplifters, and homeless people.
