A drug operation that spanned the last four months has netted 32 arrests in Orange County.
A release from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said the operation “targeted the full range of distribution occurring within the County from the street level up to Mexican cartel sourced drugs.”
Investigators seized more than 5,500 grams of cocaine, nearly 3,700 grams of marijuana, 20 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, 32 grams of heroin, 162 dosage units of prescription medication and six firearms, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
“The operation was a collaborative effort between numerous agencies, as well as other divisions within the Sheriff’s Office, and members of the affected communities,” Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood said in a release. “It is important to continue to focus enforcement efforts on the sale of illegal narcotics given that many other crimes are driven by the drug trade. Removal of this criminal element improves the quality of life for everyone in our community.”
Authorities say arrests were made on state and federal charges. Warrants were issued for approximately 40 individuals on 110 felony counts and 30 misdemeanor charges. Law enforcement officials are still working to locate the remaining suspects.
The investigation brought in resources from several local and state agencies, including all municipal law enforcement branches in Orange County.
A six-month investigation in 2015 led to more than 200 charges brought against 62 suspects in Orange County.
Anyone with information regarding this operation is asked to contact Orange County Sheriff’s Office investigator BK Wilkerson at (919) 245-2900.
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