INDIANAPOLIS – A series of federal drug raids were carried out across five counties in central Indiana as part of a crackdown on a large drug trafficking operation.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) served as the lead agency, with support from state and local resources.
The early morning drug busts resulted in more than a dozen arrests. Warrants were served in at least 15 locations.
The focus is on narcotics, with SWAT units targeting multiple addresses. The goal of the operation is to save lives.
The DEA described it as a “substantial drug trafficking operation” involved in dealing methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine and more.
The operation has been months in the planning, according to Daniel Schmidt with the DEA.
“This group has been operating in central Indiana for several months and this investigation has been going on. We've been able to make large seizures of meth, fentanyl, cocaine and other drugs as part of this,” said Schmidt.
According to Schmidt, the operation relied on help from state and local agencies.
“When we’re conducting large operations like this, we’re doing up to 12 or 15 search warrants simultaneously, so it takes a lot of coordination between federal, state and local partners so that we can do this safely for law enforcement as well as for the suspects,” Schmidt said.
Starting before sunrise, SWAT officers in Johnson County handcuffed a 34-year-old suspect accused of dealing meth in Franklin.
Numerous homes and apartments were targeted in Indianapolis.
The operation also included locations in Hamilton, Greene and Monroe counties.
As part of Wednesday's raids, the DEA claims they seized various drugs as well as multiple firearms.
At least 12 people were arrested for federal crimes, with a few additional suspects facing state charges.
“Today was a good day for our city,” said IMPD Deputy Chief Kendale Adams.
Getting the drugs off the street is important because hundreds of people have died from fentanyl-related overdoses in Marion County over the last few years. Thousands more have died statewide from drug poisoning over the same time.
Both IMPD and the DEA hope the multi-county busts also prevent shootings and other drug-related violence from taking place.
“Our chief has been very clear we want to focus on violent crime and we know drug trafficking is often associated with violent crime,” said Adams.
“This group has definitely had a history of violence associated with it, so operations like this are only going to make the city safer,” said Schmidt.
The DEA insists similar raids will continue in the future because Marion County has been designated as a high-intensity drug trafficking area.
Jesse Wells contributed to this report.