Statewide operation seizes 550 pounds of fentanyl

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - A partnership between 175 local, state and federal agencies took 550 pounds of fentanyl off the streets of Virginia in 45 days, according to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office.

The collaborative effort was part of Operation FREE (Fentanyl Awareness, Reduction, Enforcement, and Eradication). It is a nationwide initiative that is having success in Virginia.

“We are disrupting the drug trade, and that is at the top of my list right now,” Gov. Youngkin said.

The operation seized 267 firearms and included 1,081 arrests in Virginia.

Nationwide, about 5,000 pounds of suspected, illicit fentanyl was confiscated. Data show those drugs could have generated about $4.3 billion in revenue for the criminals involved.