Illegal drugs traveling across the United States include fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, more
Due to Riverside County’s proximity to the southern border, criminals attempt to use communities in the County as a transshipment hub for illegal drugs traveling across the United States. Some of these illegal drugs include fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana.
“The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office takes these nefarious activities very seriously and will stay resolute in its efforts to arrest criminal offenders,” Capt. Rob Roggeveen said in a statement.
It’s not just Riverside, Roggeveen said. Law enforcement across the nation has seen an influx of illegal drugs in their jurisdictions.
The Riverside Sheriff’s Special Investigations Bureau, comprised of approximately 50 deputies, investigators and sergeants, partners with local, state and federal agencies to combat the trafficking of these dangerous drugs throughout Riverside County.
In 2022, the narcotic teams assigned to Special Investigations Bureau and working with allied agency partners seized a significant number of illegal narcotics.
These narcotics included:
- 6,275,797 Fentanyl tablets (M30 pills)
- 485 pounds of Powdered Fentanyl
- 242 pounds of Heroin
- 12,539 pounds of Methamphetamine
- 2, 855 pounds of Cocaine
- 263,338 pounds of Marijuana
These seizures would not have been possible without the cooperative efforts of organizations like Los Angeles High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (LA HIDTA), Drug Enforcement Agency, FBI and local agencies within Riverside County.
The Los Angeles High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area was one of the original five HIDTA regions designated as a “Drug Trafficking Gateway.” Now there are 28 designated HIDTA regions. The LA HIDTA region encompasses the Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.
“Sheriff Chad Bianco is committed to protecting the communities of Riverside County from these harmful and deadly narcotics,” Capt. Roggeveen said. “The men and women of the Special Investigations Bureau are dedicated to preventing these illegal drugs from entering our communities and will be vigilant in its efforts to arrest the offenders.”
Image Sources
- Fentanyl: Shutterstock