FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 23, 2024
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Gov. Justice announces success of Operation October Sky, seizure of meth, fentanyl, heroin, dangerous weapons
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CHARLESTON, WV — Gov. Jim Justice announced today the successful outcome of Operation October Sky, an aggressive initiative to combat the ongoing drug crisis in West Virginia. This operation resulted in significant drug seizures and numerous arrests.
During the week-long operation, which ran from October 7-14, over 30 law enforcement agencies across West Virginia seized more than 28 pounds of methamphetamine, nearly half a pound of fentanyl, and 18 fentanyl pills, alongside other dangerous substances such as heroin and cocaine.
The operation led to 70 felony arrests and 176 misdemeanor arrests, as well as the confiscation of 30 firearms—comprising 15 handguns and 14 rifles—and over $31,000 in cash linked to illegal drug activities.
"I am incredibly proud of our teams who pulled the rope together for Operation October Sky," Gov. Justice said. "Thankfully, we were able to help clean up many of our streets. However, the bottom line is that we’ve suffered terrible consequences because of the loose restrictions at our southern border. We can’t ignore how this serious issue fuels the drug epidemic and the absolute chaos we're facing all across this nation. But, we will not stand for it here in West Virginia. We will continue to tackle these challenges head-on. We owe a huge thank you to the West Virginia State Police and all our law enforcement agencies for their fantastic job in keeping our streets safe from this terrible epidemic. If this is what we can do in a week, think about what we can accomplish in a year? We need to continue pushing for these kinds of crackdowns.”
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Operation October Sky united over 30 law enforcement agencies from across the state, including the West Virginia State Police, to disrupt critical drug trafficking networks.
The West Virginia Fusion Center, in partnership with the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug, assigned Intelligence Analyst teams to provide real-time support to the interdiction efforts. These analysts gathered, processed, and shared crucial information with participating agencies, enhancing the operation's overall effectiveness.
The West Virginia State Police, in collaboration with local law enforcement agencies, executed the operation. The impressive outcomes achieved in just one week highlight the potential impact of sustained efforts against drug trafficking year-round.
This operation also sheds light on the persistent challenges posed by drug trafficking in West Virginia, particularly the influence of specific foreign cartels responsible for significant amounts of illicit drugs entering the state.
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