There are some more nuances to this than the article lets on; striking deals like this typically tends to revolve more around getting at those higher up in a ch

There are some more nuances to this than the article lets on; striking deals like this typically tends to revolve more around getting at those higher up in a chain, for example, giving a dealer community service in exchange for ratting out their supplier. The story from the article feels like it's missing details that were either intentionally obscured to protect someone, left out for effect, absent-mindedly left out, or other possibilities. Your suspicions are indeed correct that it wouldn't make a lot of sense to put someone into a sting operation they have little to do with, since it's very easy to blow the entire operation.