Dozens arrested after year-long federal investigation, drugs removed from Western Pa.

An operation following the path of drugs from the border to the streets of Western Pennsylvania. After a year of surveillance, the feds are now charging and arresting the dozens involved.

“Yesterday dozens of federal agents along with state and local police fanned out across Western PA and across the country to arrest members of this drug trafficking network,” said Troy Rivetti who’s the Acting US Attorney of the Western District of PA.

With those arrests comes a pile of evidence. Rivetti said more than two million fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills, 400 pounds of meth and 47 firearms were taken by police.

“Nearly every family in Western PA has been touched in some way by the opioid epidemic and the deadly drug fentanyl,” Rivetti said.

Saving those families and our communities is why these agencies said this operation is so important.

“The investigation took us to Phoenix, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Seattle and Las Vegas to identify multiple routes and methods used for getting the drugs here. As you know the collateral damage is where drugs are sold other violent crimes also happens,” said Mike Nordwall who’s the FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge.

The names go on and on as more than 60 people are now charged federally with 25 more at the state level for being involved in this extensive trafficking ring.

“Investigations like this don’t happen overnight and they can’t happen without strong partnerships,” Nordwall said.

The initial investigation actually started in Johnstown in 2018 when local police found out a street gang from Cleveland was dealing drugs here. That ultimately led to more than 50 buys with police and this sting operation.

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