DRUGS

Southside authorities will join together Tuesday afternoon to release information about multi-jurisdiction drug operations.

Three people are facing charges after two women overdosed in the Henry County Adult Detention Center on Oct. 2.

Three people have been arrested as a result of two separate investigations by the Bedford County area and state authorities.

A New York man has been charged after an international package containing eight pounds of ketamine was intercepted in Lynchburg, according to the Lynchburg Police Department.

A Henry County man is facing charges after narcotics and ammunition were found in his residence, according to the Henry County Sheriff’s Office.

DISCLAIMER: Please know that some images and descriptions in the story below include drugs, other paraphernalia

A Bassett man is facing charges after authorities conducted a search warrant at his home Thursday, according to the Henry County Sheriff’s Office.

Drug use continues to be an issue across the country. But one of the solutions is harm reduction. It can be a controversial topic as some say it’s enabling people to use drugs, but others say it’s saving lives.

A woman is facing charges after authorities seized drugs during a search at an apartment in Galax Wednesday, according to the Galax Police Department.

A Henry County man is facing charges after authorities seized narcotics from his home on Thursday, according to the Henry County Sheriff’s Office.

The Lynchburg Police Department has arrested a 20-year-old Bedford man after seizing guns, ammo, money, and drugs.

A man is facing charges after authorities seized narcotics and firearms from an Alleghany County home, according to the Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office.

The D.A.R.E. program, which stands for drug abuse resistance education, is being offered in some local schools, like Roanoke City, to educate students about the risks of drug use.

Two people were arrested and charged after police seized drugs and guns during a hotel patrol in Lynchburg, according to the Lynchburg Police Department.

Two men were arrested after drugs and other related items were found during a traffic stop on Interstate 64, according to the Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office.

In 2022, US Customs and Border Protection confiscated over 650,000 pounds of drugs at the U.S.-Mexico border.

A Lynchburg Police K9 assisted in the arrest of the man who was wanted out of three counties

Three people were arrested after authorities seized drugs, drug paraphernalia, guns, and ammunition during a traffic stop in Alleghany County Monday.

Two people are facing charges and another is wanted after a Lynchburg police K9 alerted his handler, leading officers to find drugs, guns, and money on Saturday.

A Henry County man is facing charges after investigators found drugs in his home, according to the sheriff’s office.

Gov. Youngkin's office says fentanyl is the leading cause of unnatural deaths in the state.

Data shows Roanoke has some of the highest non-fatal overdose rates in the country per capita.

An Evington woman was arrested after authorities seized narcotics and cash during a traffic stop in Campbell County, according to the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office.

A Max Meadows man has been convicted on drug charges and sentenced in the Wythe County Circuit Court, according to Commonwealth’s Attorney Mike Jones.

Four people have been arrested as a result of collaborative investigation efforts in Amherst County, according to the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office.

One man is facing charges after multiple guns and drugs were seized from a residence, according to the Lynchburg Police Department.

A Pembroke man and Pearisburg woman were arrested after authorities seized narcotics, guns, and other items from a Giles County residence on Tuesday, according to the Giles County Sheriff’s Office.

Thousands of illegal drugs are off the street after a police chase in Bedford County.

New data shows Roanoke has some of the highest non-fatal overdose rates in the country per capita.

Alonso Cantu-Cantu, 46, of Houston, Texas, was the major source of supply for a drug conspiracy that stretched into Southwest Virginia, officials said.

The Bedford County Sheriff’s Office said charges are pending after authorities seized drugs, guns and cash during a traffic stop on March 17.

Two people were arrested after authorities seized more than $1,500 worth of fentanyl, a stolen gun, meth, and suspected counterfeit pills during a narcotics investigation, according to the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office.

An 18-year-old from Nelson County has been arrested in Charlottesville after authorities seized 9 guns, drugs, and more than $4,000 in cash on Wednesday, according to the Charlottesville Police Department.

The Henry County Sheriff’s Office has provided an update on the Henry County Adult Detention Center death investigation that happened last August.

Three people from Roanoke have been arrested after the Star City Drug and Violent Crime Task Force seized drugs, firearms, and cash as a result of a long-term, multi-county-wide investigation, according to Virginia State Police.

A Madison Heights man has been arrested after a reported explosion led to several search warrants and the discovery of guns and drugs, according to the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office.

Community complaints of drug activity led to the arrest of one Amherst County man, according to the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities said that more than 600 grams of meth, four firearms, and over $7,000 were found during the operation, which led to a man’s arrest.

A 44-year-old man is facing charges after drugs and money were seized from his home on Tuesday, according to the Henry County Sheriff’s Office.

The bill aims to permanently make fentanyl a schedule I drug.

A man is now in custody after authorities seized drugs, a gun, and a stolen trailer during a traffic stop, according to the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office.

The street value for the amount of methamphetamine found was over $27,000.00, according to the Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office.

The North Carolina source of supply was sentenced to 27.5 years in federal prison after conspiring with dozens of others to distribute narcotics into Lynchburg and the Central Virginia region, according to the Department of Justice.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man after they found drugs and firearms inside a home.

A Covington man was arrested and charged after authorities searched his home on Nov. 3, according to the Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office.

A man was arrested and charged after a drug bust in Alleghany County, according to Sheriff Kevin Hall.

The DOJ said evidence presented at his trial showed Horsley led a drug trafficking conspiracy.

We’re told the settlement is now being sent to other states for review and approval.

Several drugs, an improvised explosive device, a handgun, ammunition, and scales were seized, the Sheriff said

Substance abuse numbers continue to rise in Roanoke, as officials work together to combat addiction.

The Knights Inn, located on Thirlane Road in Roanoke, was being investigated for alleged criminal activity.

23-year-old Chad Custer and 28-year-old Aaron Woods pleaded guilty to charges related to a shooting that happened at an Eastern Avenue apartment on July 10, 2018, according to the Department of Justice.

A federal judge found two men who brought drugs into the Hill City guilty.

A new report published by the Lynchburg Police Department shows that drug overdoses are increasing in the Hill City.

People gathered at the Vinton War Memorial on Wednesday to recognize International Overdose Awareness Day

International Overdose Awareness Day is Aug. 31, and organizations in Lynchburg are working together to provide help.

The Eastern Appalachian Adult and Teen Challenge outreach office will host its grand opening on Saturday.

Virginia and its localities are expected to receive approximately $530 million over a period of 16 years in the settlements with three drug distributors McKesson Corp., AmerisourceBergen Corp., and Cardinal Health, and a prescription opioid manufacturer, Janssen Pharmaceutical, according to Attorney General Miyares.

Authorities said that investigators found methamphetamines, money, and a firearm at the residence.

The Covington City Treasurer was arrested on Tuesday for possession of drugs and divulging tax information, according to Virginia State Police.

In the last three years, Danville Police say opioids killed at least 16 people in the city.

A Lynchburg man was arrested for selling and distributing drugs and for having guns in his possession.

Wythe County Sheriff’s Office responded to a possible intoxicated driver call that resulted in one person’s death on Friday.

Horizon Behavioral Health in Lynchburg is dedicating more than $670,000 in state funding, to reduce substance abuse for pregnant and postpartum women, as well as mothers with children up to age five.

St. John's Episcopal Church partnered with the McShin Foundation for the mobile memorial called The White Marker Project.

Chips and dip — with a side of coke. Well, cocaine, that is.

A 24-year-old Georgia man is in jail after trying to traffic tens of thousands of dollars of meth in Patrick County.

A Bronx man has been indicted on multiple charges in connection with authorities seizing about 110 pounds of cocaine from a food truck in Raphine, Virginia last October.

Middle and high schools in Roanoke County want to know if students are doing drugs, how often and why. To find out, they’ll be asking students about their behaviors by using the Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

A 39-year-old Roanoke man will spend the next 14 years in prison for his role in the drug trade in the Roanoke Valley.

September is National Recovery Month, and organizations in Lynchburg are fighting to change the stigma of getting help.

In a recent survey among tenth graders in Lynchburg, 96.8 percent reported they had not used drugs in the last 30 days.

Three Virginia men are behind bars following a multi-agency narcotics investigation in Staunton and Waynesboro, state police say.

The 33-year-old pushed through the five-phase treatment, regained custody of her son and graduated the program. Now she's helping others fight substance abuse.

Border Patrol agents found five pounds of fentanyl stuffed inside breakfast burritos along the Arizona-Mexico borderYUMA, Ariz. – You may have heard of folks smuggling drugs in weird items like watermelons, fake baby bumps and hoverboards. A canine working alongside Border Patrol agents in Arizona sniffed out narcotics stuffed inside the popular Mexican cuisine on Monday at the Highway 78 immigration checkpoint, according to a press release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). During a secondary inspection, authorities said the canine alerted its handler to a black backpack found inside a Chevrolet Tahoe. Agents searched the backpack to discover several small packages of fentanyl hidden inside breakfast burritos. According to CBP, the packages of fentanyl weighed about five pounds with an estimated street value of nearly $60,000.

RUSTBURG, Va. – A year-long narcotics investigation ended in 31 people in Campbell County being indicted on 62 federal charges on Sunday. The Campbell County Sheriff’s Office canine unit along with the Central Virginia Drug and Gang Task Force (CVDGTF) worked on “Operation Crystal Clear” together. Authorities said more than 7,532 grams of methamphetamine, 227 grams of heroin and 688 grams of cocaine with a total estimated street value of $773,654 were seized during the investigation. 26 illegal firearms were also confiscated in Campbell County. The charges for the 31 people are:Distribution of methamphetamineConspiracy to distribute methamphetamineDistribution of heroinDistribution of cocainePossession of schedule I/IIPossession of schedule I/II while in possession of a firearmFelon in possession of a firearmDistribution of methamphetamine while in possession of a firearmThe individuals arrested on Friday are being held at the Blue Ridge Regional Jail in Rustburg and the Blue Ridge Regional Jail in Amherst.

ROANOKE, Va. – The man at the center of one of the largest fentanyl seizures in Virginia will spend the next two decades in prison. Monta Orlando Jordan, 45, who authorities described as a Roanoke drug kingpin, received a 20-year sentence on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Roanoke, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Jordan retrieved these deliveries at various locations around the Valley View Mall and made cash payments toward his purchases of as much as $320,000 during scheduled meetings. Inside one package alone, agents reported finding a basketball wrapped in carbon paper and surrounded by miscellaneous chair cushions. AdThe drug was contained in plastic bags and covered in an oily masking agent, designed to defeat the scenting capabilities of K-9 drug dogs.

Authorities seized 15 guns, about 3.25 pounds of meth with an approximate street value of $147,000, and one pound of marijuana, with an approximate street value of $4,000. They also seized marijuana edibles and illegal prescription drugs. Authorities seized 15 guns, about 3.25 pounds of meth with an approximate street value of $147,000, and one pound of marijuana, with an approximate street value of $4,000. They also seized marijuana edibles and illegal prescription drugs, according to Virginia State Police. • James Paterson, 46, of Lyndhurst, is charged with possession with intent to distribute Schedule II methamphetamine and possession of a firearm while in possession of a Schedule II drug.

DANVILLE, Va. – In an effort to address opioid addiction in the city, the Danville Police Department has tracked down and reported 50 suspected heroin-related overdose cases from late 2019 to Friday. In that time frame, authorities reported a total of 44 non-fatal heroin-related overdoses and a total of six suspected fatal heroin-related overdoses. However, three of those six deaths that police believe was a result of heroin use happened over the past week. Back in May 2020, the police department issued Naloxone to officers, which is a medication designed to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose. Anyone suffering from addiction and seeking assistance can ask help from Danville police or contact Danville-Pittsylvania Community Services 24 hours a day at 434-793-4922.

While we may not know if President Donald Trump or former Vice President Joe Biden won the presidential election for a while longer, there was one clear “winner” on election night, and that was recreational drugs. States across the country have been legalizing recreational marijuana every election cycle, and 2020 was no different. Residents in New Jersey, Arizona, Montana and South Dakota all voted to legalize recreational cannabis, and South Dakota also legalized medical marijuana, along with Mississippi. South Dakota became the first state to legalize medical and recreational marijuana in the same election. For the first time in U.S. history, the state of Oregon decriminalized possession of hard drugs, as well as voted to legalize psychedelic mushrooms.

LYNCHBURG, Va. – Saturday is National Drug Take Back Day, an event focused on disposing unused or unwanted drugs safely. The Lynchburg Police Department is partnering with Horizon Behavioral Health from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can bring medications to 2215 Langhorne Road. “Anything from diabetic medication to opioids to medication from people who may have passed away, and they cleaned out old ibuprofen and things like that. COVID precautions will be in place at the event, including face masks and gloves. If you can’t make it to the event, LPD has a drop-off medicine station available Monday through Friday at their Court Street headquarters.

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – You can help save lives and stop drug abuse by getting rid of your old, unused or unwanted prescription medications. The Roanoke County Police Department and the Prevention Council of Roanoke County are encouraging people to participate in the 10th annual National Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 24, from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. Even if you don’t live in the Roanoke area, there are collection sites across the country where you can go. Organizers said these medications often end up in the wrong hands, so it’s important for families and businesses to do their part by getting rid of them. “Just leaving one pill, just one, in the hands of young people could lead to addiction," said Nancy Hans, the executive director of the Prevention Council of Roanoke County.

BEDFORD COUNTY, Va. – Authorities have one man in custody and seized multiple drugs as part of an investigation that’s been happening for more than six months. The Bedford County Sheriff’s Office arrested Joel Lamont Taylor on Thursday while executing a search warrant at his home on Perrowville Road in Forest. Vice/narcotics investigators, as well as the office’s Tactical Response Team and K-9 units assisted with executing the warrant. Thursday’s search was the second during the investigation and yielded possible meth, marijuana, several types of pills, heroin and gun, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The investigation remains ongoing.

James Robert Johnson – Sentenced to 12 years, 7 months imprisonment, conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Christopher Lee Smiley – Sentenced to 5 years, 4 months imprisonment, conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Terry Melvin Dalton – Sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribute methamphetamine. Kimberly Ann Drake – Sentenced to 17 years, 6 months imprisonment, conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Melissa Darlene Barrett – Sentenced to 14 years imprisonment, conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribute methamphetamine.

FLOYD COUNTY, Va. – One of the men charged in a record-setting drug bust in our area will spend the rest of his life in prison. A jury recommended two life sentences plus eight years for Jorge Martinez-Estrada, 31, on multiple charges Wednesday, according to the Floyd County Commonwealth’s Attorney. This was part of a massive undercover investigation last year called “Operation Trap Door.”Operation Trap Door yielded the largest drug seizure ever in Southwest Virginia, according to the Commonwealth’s Attorney. Prosecutors say Martinez-Estrada helped distribute 30 pounds of crystal meth and more than 6 pounds of cocaine. Evidence showed that Martinez-Estrada transported the drugs in hidden compartments in a pickup truck and toolboxes, according to the Commonwealth’s Attorney.

ROANOKE, Va. – The man at the center of the one of the largest fentanyl seizures in Virginia was convicted in federal court on Tuesday, according to United State Attorney Thomas T. Cullen. On Aug. 10, 2017, authorities received information regarding a suspicious FedEx package designated for an address associated with Jordan. Once they acquired a federal search warrant, agents opened the package to found about one pound of cocaine and a pound of heroin. He was taken into custody shortly after the packages entered the creek below, and has remained in jail since then. The drug was contained in plastic bags and covered in an oily masking agent, designed to defeat the scenting capabilities of K-9 drug dogs.

ROANOKE, Va. – Opponents of a center offering a controversial needle exchange program took their concerns to Roanoke City Council on Monday, just one week before the new center is set to open. Opponents of the center are asking city council to slow down the process or relocate the center. It will also be where people sign up for the new needle exchange program. The new, separate location, which is the Drop-In Center North, would solely register people for the needle exchange program, and not actually distribute or exchange needles. Both parties agree about the benefits of the needle exchange program, but they still don’t see eye-to-eye on the long term effects.

“The FDA is investigating whether metformin in the U.S. market contains NDMA, and whether it is above the acceptable daily intake limit of 96 nanograms,” said Janet Woodcock, director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. According to WFTV, The Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday it was aware metformin in other countries contained low levels of NDMA, but those levels were in the “naturally occurring in food and water” range. NDMA is a common contaminant found in water and foods including cured and grilled meats, dairy products and vegetables. Everyone is exposed to some level of NDMA, Woodcock said. The FDA recommends patients continue taking metformin to keep their diabetes under control because “there are no alternative medications that treat this condition in the same way.”

Before you answer with an assured “NO,” know that ‘secret stash’ containers are increasing in popularity, and getting easier to obtain. The containers have some things in common: They’re easy to purchase, they’re cheap -- usually around $10 -- and they look exactly like real household items. A new corner of the Internet is dedicated to selling secret stash items. Drug addiction experts say kids are buying them to store drugs, hiding them, and their habit, from their parents. The following are some otherwise innocent-looking household items that could be secret stash containers: