FRANKFORT, KY - On Thursday, July 11th, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced that a sweeping investigation into suspected drug trafficking rings in the state produced more than 200 arrests and drug seizures valued close to $685,000.
According to WDRB, a Kentucky State Police (KSP) investigation that was launched three months ago involved every state police post across the state. The investigation, called Operation Summer Heat, remains ongoing and will likely result in additional arrests as confirmed by State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr.
Burnett said in a statement, "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." The statewide drug operation has resulted in 206 arrests on a combined 490 charges, with trafficking in a controlled substance accounting for a majority of those charges.
Burnett said that 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 street value of the drugs seized is about $684,953. The commissioner said that investigators also recovered $37,159 in cash, $10,000 in stolen tools and one stolen vehicle during the operation.
At a news conference, Beshear said, "There are now fewer individuals out there that pose a threat to our people. This was no easy feat — one that put law enforcement face-to-face with danger."
Governor Beshear also touted prevention and treatment programs that his state are employing to fight the deadly addiction epidemic. He announced advances in providing comprehensive treatment for people battling addiction. Four additional Kentucky counties — Breathitt, Jessamine, Lee, and Nelson have all been certified as Recovery Ready Communities for the help they are providing to people overcoming addiction.
Beshear said that Kentucky has made progress with its multi-pronged approach to the battle against addiction, pointing to declines in statewide drug overdose deaths the past two years. He said that the state is at the national forefront in the per-capita number of residential drug and alcohol treatment beds. The governor said in a statement, "Despite this, we know that our work is not yet done. We are still losing far too many people, each one a child of God missed by their families and their communities."
The Miles City Star reported that according to the 2023 Kentucky Drug Overdose Fatality Report, a total of 1,984 Kentuckians died in 2023 from a drug overdose, which was down 9.8 percent from the year prior. The report said that fentanyl was the biggest culprit, accounting for 79 percent of overdose deaths in 2023.
Kentucky's Republican-dominated Legislature escalated the fight against fentanyl this year by passing a sweeping measure that is 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 large sums of federal funding to his home state of Kentucky over the years to help combat the addiction crisis it faces.
As of this writing, 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 as well as removing barriers to the workforce.
According to WDRB, a Kentucky State Police (KSP) investigation that was launched three months ago involved every state police post across the state. The investigation, called Operation Summer Heat, remains ongoing and will likely result in additional arrests as confirmed by State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr.
Burnett said in a statement, "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." The statewide drug operation has resulted in 206 arrests on a combined 490 charges, with trafficking in a controlled substance accounting for a majority of those charges.
Burnett said that 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 street value of the drugs seized is about $684,953. The commissioner said that investigators also recovered $37,159 in cash, $10,000 in stolen tools and one stolen vehicle during the operation.
At a news conference, Beshear said, "There are now fewer individuals out there that pose a threat to our people. This was no easy feat — one that put law enforcement face-to-face with danger."
Governor Beshear also touted prevention and treatment programs that his state are employing to fight the deadly addiction epidemic. He announced advances in providing comprehensive treatment for people battling addiction. Four additional Kentucky counties — Breathitt, Jessamine, Lee, and Nelson have all been certified as Recovery Ready Communities for the help they are providing to people overcoming addiction.
Beshear said that Kentucky has made progress with its multi-pronged approach to the battle against addiction, pointing to declines in statewide drug overdose deaths the past two years. He said that the state is at the national forefront in the per-capita number of residential drug and alcohol treatment beds. The governor said in a statement, "Despite this, we know that our work is not yet done. We are still losing far too many people, each one a child of God missed by their families and their communities."
The Miles City Star reported that according to the 2023 Kentucky Drug Overdose Fatality Report, a total of 1,984 Kentuckians died in 2023 from a drug overdose, which was down 9.8 percent from the year prior. The report said that fentanyl was the biggest culprit, accounting for 79 percent of overdose deaths in 2023.
Kentucky's Republican-dominated Legislature escalated the fight against fentanyl this year by passing a sweeping measure that is 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 large sums of federal funding to his home state of Kentucky over the years to help combat the addiction crisis it faces.
As of this writing, 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 as well as removing barriers to the workforce.
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