82 indicted in West Virginia fentanyl, meth and cocaine bust (2024)

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What is the big drug bust in Martinsburg West Virginia? ›

United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced charges against individuals who were operating a large-scale fentanyl and cocaine trafficking operation out of an autobody shop in Martinsburg, West Virginia.

(1) If the net weight of fentanyl involved in the offense is less than one gram, such person shall be imprisoned in a correctional facility not less than two four nor more than 10 years.

The punishment for any person who knowingly sells, gives, or distributes at least 2mg of fentanyl to another person without the knowledge of the receiver shall be guilty of attempted murder in the Second Degree pursuant to 18.2-26 and 18.2-32 of the Code of Virginia.

CPD abuse and trafficking has long been the leading drug problem in West Virginia and is still responsible for the majority of overdose deaths in the state. However, heroin and fentanyl abuse is rapidly expanding and surpassing CPDs as the greatest threat in some parts of the state.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — From 2006 through 2014, more than 81 million painkiller pills were shipped to this city and surrounding rural Cabell County.

The FEND Off Fentanyl Act passed the House and the Senate as part of the bipartisan national security package, and was signed into law on Wednesday. Brown joined local Mahoning Valley leaders last July to call for the passage of this bill.

Fentanyl and fentanyl analogues were involved in 76% of all drug overdose deaths occurring in West Virginia in 2021, up from 58% in 2017.

As shown in the figure below, from 2011 to 2021, the age-adjusted death rate due to opioid overdose increased from 31.5 per 100,000 to 77.2 per 100,000 in West Virginia. Over the same period, the age-adjusted death rate increased from 7.3 per 100,000 to 24.7 per 100,000 in the U.S.

The case is the result of a major drug trafficking investigation dubbed Operation Smoke and Mirrors in which law enforcement seized well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash.

In 2021, there were 1,253 opioid overdose deaths in West Virginia, which accounted for 83% of all drug overdose deaths in the state. Across the U.S., opioid overdose deaths accounted for 75% of all drug overdose deaths in the country in 2021.

How much did Walgreens settle for opioids in West Virginia? ›

Walgreens has agreed to pay West Virginia $83 million to settle allegations the pharmacy chain contributed to the opioid crisis in the state, which has the nation's highest overdose death rate, state officials announced Wednesday, joining a series of settlements between West Virginia and other pharmacies in recent ...

18 and was seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Office of Field Operations at the Camino Real International Bridge. The meth that was seized is the largest ever encountered by law enforcement in a single trafficking attempt at a port of entry and is valued at more than $117 million.