Authorities say a massive drug seizure in Mercer County ranks among the largest in West Virginia history, with enough fentanyl recovered to potentially kill 12 million people.
Governor Patrick Morrisey made the announcement during a press conference Thursday morning in Charleston, joined by West Virginia State Police and Mercer County law enforcement.
The bust, the result of a months-long investigation, included 54 pounds of suspected fentanyl with a street value of more than $825,000, along with 70 pounds of suspected crystal meth, 23 pounds of suspected marijuana, 15 firearms, and three brick presses.
Multiple search warrants were executed on September 10, leading to several arrests. Those charged face counts of delivery of methamphetamine, delivery of fentanyl, and conspiracy to deliver fentanyl.
The investigation involved the West Virginia State Police, Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Southern Regional Drug & Violent Crime Task Force.
Governor Morrisey praised the agencies for their work and warned drug traffickers that West Virginia will continue to take aggressive action.
“If we haven’t gotten to you yet, and you’re a drug dealer operating in West Virginia, we are coming for you,” Morrisey said. “We’re going to keep the drugs off our streets, and we’re going to protect people as much as we humanly can.”
Officials say the investigation remains active.