The Drug Enforcement Administration is tackling the opioid crisis in the plains states with the creation of a new field office in Omaha, Nebraska, the Department of Justice announced Thursday.
Set to launch in July, the new division will cover Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota, Minnesota and South Dakota.
“The people of these states can rest assured that, in the face of an unprecedented crisis, we are taking steps to be more effective and put the traffickers and crooked doctors where they belong—behind bars,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement announcing the new field office.
Special Agent in Charge Matthew R. Barden will lead the Omaha field office. He comes from the St. Louis field office where he served as Associate Special Agent in Charge.
“DEA anticipates that this change will produce more effective investigations on methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl and prescription opioid trafficking, all of which have a significant impact on the region,” Mr. Barden said in a statement.
The announcement came on the same day the Justice Department announced Nebraska’s biggest fentanyl bust of all time. Nebraska State Police seized over 118 lbs of fentanyl - an extremely dangerous opioid linked to thousands of overdoses - during an April traffic stop.
Nelson Nicolas Nunez-Acosta, 52, and Felipe Genao Minaya, 47, both of Newark, New Jersey, were arrested for possessing the fentanyl, according to the Justice Department. Both face federal drug distribution charges, which could result in lifetime prison sentences.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.