Since March of this year, police and federal agents have been tracking a drug ring that distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine and heroin from Charlottesville to customers all over central Virginia. U.S. Attorney Chris Kavanaugh said judges had issued 20 search warrants for Operation Rock Bottom.
“Those search warrants resulted in the seizure of 20 firearms, which included sawed-off shotguns and assault rifles, 1.7 kilograms of powered fentanyl, 1.5 kilograms of cocaine, a pound of meth, 5,000 fentanyl pills and over $70 in bulk cash.”
Yesterday, officers arrested 17 suspects, ranging in age from 18 to 66, and confiscated enough fentanyl to kill 850,000 people. DEA agent Jared Forget said the drugs came from Mexico and were taking a huge toll here.
“We’re experiencing the most severe drug poisoning crisis in our country’s history, primarily driven by this traffic in illicit drugs containing fentanyl. Drug trafficking criminals like the ones indicted as part of this investigation are flooding our streets with this poison at an alarming rate.”
State police chief Gary Settles said 74% of overdose deaths involved fentanyl, and opioids had killed more than 2,600 Virginians in 2021 alone.
“Drug-related deaths have consistently outpaced motor vehicle traffic fatalities and gun-related deaths since 2016."
Kavanaugh could not say what the investigation had cost, but Charlottesville Police Chief Michael Kochis expressed hope that a drug bust this big would make a difference.
“That’s twenty firearms that are not on the streets today in the city of Charlottesville, over a thousand grams of fentanyl, over 6,000 pills of fentanyl. Those pills aren’t in a school in Charlottesville today, and so this work matters.”
As officers conducted their searches Wednesday, they found evidence against two other people – one considered a leader of the ring. State Police Chief Settles suggested additional arrests could be expected when he told reporters, “The success and impact of Operation Rock Bottom is just beginning.”
