Current:Home > reviewsKentucky drug crackdown yields 200 arrests in Operation Summer Heat -Wealth Evolution Experts
Kentucky drug crackdown yields 200 arrests in Operation Summer Heat
View
Date:2025-04-13 15:45:11
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A sweeping investigation into suspected drug trafficking rings has produced more than 200 arrests and drug seizures valued at nearly $685,000, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday. He also touted prevention and treatment programs fighting the deadly addiction epidemic.
A Kentucky State Police investigation, launched three months ago, involved every state police post across the Bluegrass State. The crackdown, dubbed Operation Summer Heat, is ongoing and will result in additional arrests, said State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr.
“Kentuckians in those targeted areas can sleep a little better tonight knowing that these drug dealers have been removed from their communities and will now face prosecution,” Burnett said.
Beshear also announced advances in providing comprehensive treatment for people battling addiction. Four additional Kentucky counties — Breathitt, Jessamine, Lee and Nelson — have been certified as Recovery Ready Communities for the help they provide people overcoming addiction, he said.
Kentucky has made progress with its multi-pronged approach to addiction, the Democratic governor said, pointing to declines in statewide drug overdose deaths the past two years. The state is at the national forefront in the per-capita number of residential drug and alcohol treatment beds, he said.
“Despite this, we know that our work is not yet done,” Beshear said Thursday. “We are still losing far too many people, each one a child of God missed by their families and their communities.”
On the enforcement side, the statewide drug operation has netted 206 arrests on a combined 490 charges, with trafficking in a controlled substance accounting for a majority, Burnett said.
Drug seizures totaled 554 grams of fentanyl, 219 grams of cocaine, 4,862 grams of methamphetamine, 41 grams of heroin, 2,931 fentanyl pills, 50 hydrocodone pills, 64 oxycodone pills and 90 hallucinogens, the commissioner said. The street value of the illicit drugs seized is about $684,953. Authorities also recovered $37,159 in cash, $10,000 in stolen tools and one stolen vehicle during the operation, he said.
“There are now fewer individuals out there that pose a threat to our people,” Beshear said at a news conference. “This was no easy feat — one that put law enforcement face-to-face with danger.”
The operation took out of circulation both lethal narcotics and the money that helps fuel drug trafficking operations, the state police commissioner added.
A total of 1,984 Kentuckians died last year from a drug overdose, down 9.8% from the prior year, according to the 2023 Kentucky Drug Overdose Fatality Report. Fentanyl — a powerful synthetic opioid — was the biggest culprit, accounting for 79% of overdose deaths in 2023, the report said.
Kentucky’s Republican-dominated Legislature escalated the fight against fentanyl this year by passing a sweeping measure that’s meant to combat crime. A key section created harsher penalties when the distribution of fentanyl results in fatal overdoses.
At the federal level, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has steered huge sums of federal funding to his home state of Kentucky over the years to combat its addiction woes.
Beshear on Thursday stressed the importance of treatment, calling it an example of “living our faith and values” by offering second chances for people fighting to overcome addiction. So far, 14 of Kentucky’s 120 counties have gained Recovery Ready certification. The designation recognizes a commitment to providing access to addiction treatment and recovery support and removing barriers to the workforce.
Kentucky can’t “incarcerate our way out of this problem,” said Scott Lockard, public health director for the Kentucky River District Health Department.
“This emptiness left by drugs, we need to fill it with something else,” he said.
veryGood! (787)
Related
- Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
- Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu indicates war in Gaza may escalate, orders evacuation plan for Rafah
- Super Bowl bets placed online surged this year, verification company says
- Alix Earle Reveals Why Dating With Acne Was So Scary for Her
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- How to cook corned beef: A recipe (plus a history lesson) this St. Patrick's Day
- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in critical care after being hospitalized with emergent bladder issue, Pentagon says
- Marathon World-Record Holder Kelvin Kiptum Dead at 24 After Car Crash
- Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
- Nor'easter, snow and storms forecast across New England through Tuesday
Ranking
- Juan Soto praise of Mets' future a tough sight for Yankees, but World Series goal remains
- Worried about your kids getting scammed by online crooks? Tech tips to protect kids online
- Woman slain by officers after opening fire in Osteen megachurch in Houston; child critical
- Hundreds of protesters opposed to bill allowing same-sex marriage rally in Greek capital
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Get Glowy, Fresh Skin With Skin Gym’s and Therabody’s Skincare Deals Including an $9 Jade Roller & More
- Nearly half of the world’s migratory species are in decline, UN report says
- Republican effort to restore abortion rights in Missouri folds
Recommendation
Could your smelly farts help science?
You can't escape taxes even in death. What to know about estate and inheritance taxes.
Bob's Red Mill founder, Bob Moore, dies at 94
2024 NFL draft order: All 32 first-round selections set after Super Bowl 58
Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
See the Best Looks From New York Fashion Week’s Fall/Winter 2024 Runways
Look back at 6 times Beyoncé has 'gone country' ahead of new music album announcement
Ryan Reynolds Trolls Blake Lively for Going to 2024 Super Bowl With BFF Taylor Swift