DOJ Announces $42M to Combat Illegal Manufacture and Distribution of Methamphetamine and Opioids

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – United States Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger and the Department of Justice‘s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) today announced nearly $42 million in funding to support state-level law enforcement agencies in combating the illegal manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil, and prescription opioids, including $1 million to the Virginia State Police.

“Virginia continues to see a rise in overdose deaths from opioids,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger. “Illicitly produced fentanyl and fentanyl analogues like carfentanil and acetyl fentanyl are being trafficked at alarming rates on the streets of the Commonwealth. Pills bought on the street and on the dark web are often counterfeit and contain fentanyl or fentanyl analogues, often killing those unaware of the presence of these highly potent drugs. Now, in addition to the rise in the number of opioid-related overdose deaths, Virginia is witnessing an increase in methamphetamine overdoses. This grant enables our law enforcement partners at the Virginia State Police to continue their work fighting against the spread of opioids and methamphetamines in our communities across the Commonwealth.”

“In 2018, an average of three Virginias died of an opioid overdose daily,” said Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent. “State Police has spent the past decade committing investigative and personnel resources to address the opioid crisis impacting so many communities across the Commonwealth. The COPS AHTF grant enables State Police special agents and our 37 multi-agency drug task force coordinators to not only sustain existing efforts, but to do so even more strategically through advanced, data-driven analytics and investigative tools.”

Drug overdose deaths and opioid-involved deaths continue to increase in the United States. Deaths from drug overdose are up among both men and women, all races, and adults of nearly all ages, with more than three out of five drug overdose deaths involving an opioid. More than 130 people die every day in the United States after overdosing on opioids, while methamphetamine continues to be one of the most commonly misused stimulant drugs in the world and is the drug that most contributes to violent crime.

“This funding is a critical step towards providing State Police with the advanced skills, technical capabilities, and analytical support they need in order to turn the tide on the record number of fatal opioid-related overdoses afflicting families and communities across Virginia,” said Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian Moran. “We are appreciative of the COPS Office for recognizing Virginia’s investigative and prosecutorial needs to continue our fight against the opioid epidemic.”  

The COPS Office is awarding more than $29.7 million in grant funding to 14 state law enforcement agency task forces through the Anti-Heroin Task Force Program (AHTF). AHTF provides three years of funding directly to state-level law enforcement agencies with multijurisdictional reach and interdisciplinary team (e.g., task force) structures, in states with high per capita rates of primary treatment admissions for heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil, and other opioids. This funding will support the location or investigation of illicit activities through statewide collaboration related to the distribution of heroin, fentanyl, or carfentanil or the unlawful distribution of prescription opioids.

“The scourge of opioid and methamphetamine use continues to take a devastating toll on our nation’s communities,” said COPS Office Director Phil Keith. “By providing these resources to law enforcement to help combat the further spread, the COPS Office is demonstrating our commitment to this Administration’s priority of reducing drug use and protecting our citizens from this public health and safety crisis.”

Through the COPS Anti-Methamphetamine Program (CAMP), the COPS Office is also awarding $12 million to 12 state law enforcement agencies. These state agencies have demonstrated numerous seizures of precursor chemicals, finished methamphetamine, laboratories, and laboratory dump seizures. State agencies are being awarded three years of funding through CAMP to support the location or investigation of illicit activities related to the manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine, including precursor diversion, laboratories, or methamphetamine trafficking.

The AHTF and CAMP funding has a tremendous impact on state investigative and seizure work.  During the five month period between October 2019 and February 2020, current AHTF grantees reported the seizure of over $4 million in cash and 1,213 firearms. Similarly, for CAMP, grantees reported seizures of more than $7 million in cash and 1,577 firearms.

The complete list of Anti-Heroin Task Force Program award recipients, including funding amounts, can be found here:  https://cops.usdoj.gov/ahtf-award

The complete list of COPS Anti-Methamphetamine Program award recipients, including funding amounts, can be found here:  https://cops.usdoj.gov/camp-award

The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 135,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit: www.cops.usdoj.gov

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.