DAYTON — A federal drug investigation is pushing for more community involvement in the fight against fentanyl.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) works closely with state troopers and local police agencies in their drug cases.
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They are now pushing their Fentanyl Free America Initiative and say they want the community’s help.
“Fentanyl is one of the most dangerous drugs we’ve seen as a country,” Joseph Dixon said.
Dixon is the DEA Special Agent-In-Charge of the Detroit Division, with 13 offices in Michigan, Ohio, and northern Kentucky.
The agency wants to see a fentanyl free country.
“DEA is laser-focused and will be relentless in removing those individuals and those bad actors who peddle these poisons out of communities,” Dixon said. “One life lost is one life too many.”
News Center 7 has previously reported on stories of enforcement actions in the region.
That includes a series of raids in Harrison Township in October 2024.
Another DEA search warrant was issued for activity in Dayton, Troy, and four other locations in November 2024.
“A lot ot times these complex criminal conspiracies, they might range from a month to six months to two to three years,” Dixon said.
He added that this DEA is knocking on doors nationwide, gathering information about and working to stop fentanyl trafficking.
The goal is to stop drug flow into Dayton and other communities.
They also trace the dealings back to their source, which is often drug cartels.
“So the things we do, the investigations we build, we build those investigations to get to the head of the snake, wherever that snake might be,” Dixon said.
Data from the CDC shows that fatal drug overdoses fell 21% in 2025, after falling in 2024.
However, they are still not below pre-pandemic levels, which is why the DEA is asking for help in their campaign.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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