Waukesha County's Metro Drug Unit will become a federal DEA task force in October 2022. Here's what that means.
The Waukesha County Metro Drug Unit will become a federal task force, with a larger reach and more support, starting October 2022.
The unit is transitioning to a federal Drug Enforcement Administration task force — meaning the team can investigate anywhere in the nation, if needed, with more federal funding and four more full-time investigators.
In June 2022, the unit made four drug-related arrests — totaling 22 felony charges and six possession charges. Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Nick Ollinger said the number of arrests has trended down in recent years, due to low staffing numbers and the department’s focus on longer-tern investigations and major suppliers.
The unit currently investigates drug trafficking in Waukesha County and, when needed, helps law enforcement with drug overdose cases and provides presentations on drug trends for the public.
“Our Metro Drug Unit will continue to support local drug-related investigations in the same fashion,” said Ollinger. “It’s just that now we’ll have federal funding, too, as far as then being able to work investigative leads outside of Waukesha County.”
In 2021, the Metro Unit reported that it investigated 174 cases and assisted with 79 other cases, leading to a total of 124 people arrested or referred for prosecution. The unit's most seized substance, by far, was marijuana, including 29 pounds of THC “flower,” 38 pounds of edibles, 21 pounds of THC wax and 455 THX vaping cartridges.
The Metro Unit reported the second-most seized drug was cocaine, at about two pounds, and heroin at about one-fourth of a pound in 2021. Ollinger said the unit prioritizes cases related to heroin, methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine.
Lydia Morrell can be reached at 320-444-2339 or lmorrell@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @lydia_morrell.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Waukesha County Metro Drug Unit will become federal DEA force
