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AG Sessions comes to Pittsburgh to address opioid crisis

PITTSBURGH — Attorney General Jeff Sessions was in Pittsburgh Monday to announce a new team called J-Code to fight online opioid trafficking.

He also released some sobering statistics, like for Americans under the age of 50, drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death, which is why he says the Department of Justice will now target dealers who use the darknet.

"We will not stand by and watch this violence and addiction continue," Sessions said.

He was sending that message to drug dealers and those impacted by the opioid epidemic.

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Sessions announced the Trump administration is bringing new resources to Pittsburgh to go after drug dealers in the form of J-Code, which stands for Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement.

It's a collaborative effort among the Drug Enforcement Agency, Safe Streets Task Forces and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to go after dealers selling synthetic opioids and other drugs on the darknet.

"It will help make more arrests and shut down the marketplaces that these drug dealers use," Sessions said.

The program has been in its early stages over the last year.

Now with the DOJ announcing the program on the national stage, it will provide them with more resources both locally and nationally.

"We have increased dramatically with the number of agents and others working on this platform," said Chad Yarbrough with the FBI.

Sessions said over the last year, they have made strides, but he says the work to curtail opioid dealers will continue.

Outside, protesters took turns speaking into a bullhorn, rallying against Sessions and the Trump administration.

Demonstrators carried signs criticizing President Trump's immigration policies and Sessions' take on state-legalized marijuana.