Press Release from the Office of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost: (COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Law enforcement task forces organized under the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission (OOCIC) confiscated more than $92 million in illegal drugs in 2024, along with 560 firearms and $4.7 million in currency, Ohio Attorney General Yost announced today. “The number of illegal drugs and weapons taken off our streets this year is impressive thanks to our drug task forces, but the true measure of their success is the countless lives spared from overdoses and addiction,” Yost said. “I’m grateful to every sheriff and police chief, along with our federal partners, who fuel our efforts to thwart drug trafficking.” Under AG Yost’s leadership, OOCIC task forces have seized more than 288,000 prescription pills, 1,154 pounds of fentanyl, 1,994 pounds of cocaine and 2,334 firearms since 2019.

November 1, 2024, Press Release from the U.S. Department of Justice, Northern District of Ohio: CLEVELAND - Federal, state, and local law enforcement officials have unsealed an indictment that charged 15 members of a Drug Trafficking Operation (DTO) based in Lorain County, Ohio. According to court documents, the DTO was allegedly trafficking fentanyl in counterfeit pill form in the cities of Elyria and Lorain and the surrounding Northeast Ohio areas. This announcement was made by United States Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko, DEA Special Agent in Charge Orville Greene, FBI Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen, and Lorain Police Department Chief James P. McCann. The investigation that led to the indictment took place over the last year and a half. Agents apprehended individuals in a series of coordinated arrests.  They seized large quantities of fentanyl that included thousands of fentanyl pills made to look like legitimate prescription medications. Agents also discovered cash and several illegally possessed firearms during the investigation.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is announcing the seizure of over 50.6 million fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills and more than 10,000 pounds of fentanyl powder in 2022.  The DEA Laboratory estimates these seizures represent more than 379 million potentially deadly doses of fentanyl.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is tomorrow(10/26/19) and the Drug Enforcement Administration is urging people to turn in their unused prescription drugs. According to the DEA, last year nearly 10 million Americans abused controlled prescription drugs and most were taken from the medicine cabinet of family or friends. Ohio senators are stressing the importance of getting rid of prescription drugs, noting that 4 out of 5 people addicted to opioids started with prescribed drugs.