Wicomico Narcotics, Drug Enforcement Administration Charge 39, Dismantle Large-Scale Eastern Shore Drug-Trafficking Organization

(SALISBURY, MD) – Thirty-nine people accused of a drug-trafficking ring on the Eastern Shore were indicted following a five-month combined law enforcement investigation.

Wicomico Narcotics, a collaborative effort between the Maryland Department of State Police, the Fruitland Police Department, the Office of the State’s Attorney for Wicomico County, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, began a covert investigation in Spring 2024 that culminated in the indictment of 39 people involved in a large-scale drug trafficking operation in Wicomico County. Maryland State Police joined more than two dozen local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in dismantling the sale and distribution of illegal drugs, including cocaine and fentanyl, throughout Wicomico, Dorchester, and Baltimore counties.

In August 2024, Wicomico Narcotics and the Drug Enforcement Administration Salisbury Regional Office served multiple search and seizure warrants in Wicomico, Dorchester, and Baltimore counties. These warrants yielded more than 2,500 grams of suspected cocaine and nearly 30 grams of fentanyl as well as other felony narcotics, fourteen firearms, and four vehicles that were used to transport the drugs.

Wicomico Narcotics received funding for this investigation from the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces. Wicomico Narcotics is a designated Washington/Baltimore HIDTA-funded initiative.

Assisting agencies include the Drug Enforcement Administration, Maryland State Police, Somerset County Sheriff’s Office, Worcester Sheriff’s Office, Wicomico Sheriff’s Office, Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, Talbot County Sheriff’s Office, Kent County Sheriff’s Office, Caroline County Sheriff’s Office, Strike Force 7, Queen Anne’s County Sheriff’s Office, Eastern Shore Information Center, Homeland Security Investigations, Salisbury Police Department, Ocean City Police Department, and the Maryland Department of Transportation Authority Police.

This operation was supported in part by the Maryland Criminal Intelligence Network. The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy supplies grant funding and strategic assistance to MCIN member sites. These resources enable the identification, disruption, and dismantling of criminal organizations through enhanced inter-agency collaboration and data sharing, contributing to a safer Maryland for all.

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CONTACT: Office of Media Communications, msp.media@maryland.gov