NEPHI, Utah (ABC 4 News) – Like something you’d expect to see in a major metropolitan city, federal and state enforcement agencies converged on rural Utah in a major drug bust on Wednesday.
Deputies from Juab and Sanpete County, along with officers from Nephi, Mt. Pleasant, Utah Highway Patrol, Utah County and the U.S. Marshalls were all out in force today in rural Utah. This major sting operation resulted in the arrests of 23 people.
“These are people that have sold drugs. These are not just simple users. These are drug dealers,” said Juab County Sheriff Alden Orme. The alleged drug dealers were 16 to 60 years old and are suspected of selling heroine, methamphetamine, oxycontin and marijuana.
The task force was formed six months ago and has already made 63 arrests. Concern for children started the dragnet.
Sanpete County Sheriff Kevin Holman said, “One of the things we’d like to see come out of this is curtailing drug abuse and drugs that go to our children.” Authorities arrested one man today across the street from an elementary school, a drug-free zone. The suspect faces three counts of selling synthetic heroine.
The strategy behind the multi-agency effort is to break-up a network of drug pushers who are doing their dirty work across two counties.
“They’re suppliers in our area,” said Sheriff Holman. “We know that Juab County and Sanpete County have a relationship in that distribution of narcotics.”
Excitement about the drug bust is high. Nephi Police Chief Mike Morgan said, “To be able to round up this many people in a community such as ours, with approximately 5500 people, and to be able to take down this. This is just a part of one of many parts.”
Even the Nephi Mayor is ready to tell drug dealers how it is. “We are trying to send out a message that we are not going to tolerate this in our area,” said Nephi Mayor Mark Jones.
Wednesday’s drug bust was the biggest in what’s being called an unprecedented law enforcement effort in Central Utah. Still, authorities are saying it’s only the tip of the iceberg.
