Press Releases

Today, Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) announced that Carroll and Grayson counties as well as the city of Galax are being designated part of the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).  This designation will enable Carroll, Grayson, and Galax to receive federal resources to further the coordination and development of drug control efforts among federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.  Further, the designation will also allow local agencies to benefit from ongoing HIDTA-coordinated initiatives working to reduce drug use and its consequences across the United States.

Griffith said, “To fight drug trafficking, combat drug abuse, and educate citizens about treatment options as well as the risks involved with drug use, it is crucial that officials and law enforcement at the federal, state, and local levels work together.  I was glad to help Carroll, Grayson, and Galax successfully petition to be a part of the Appalachia HIDTA program, and am hopeful these resources will help crack down on drug dealers, prevent drug addiction, and reduce drug overdoses.”

“With the designation of new counties as High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA), we are enhancing the ability of Federal, state, and local authorities to coordinate drug enforcement operations and improve public health and safety,” said Michael Botticelli, Director of National Drug Policy at the ONDCP. “The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program is an important part of this Administration’s work to expand community-based efforts to prevent drug use, pursue ‘smart on crime’ approaches to drug enforcement, work to reduce overdose deaths, increase access to treatment, and support millions of Americans in recovery.”

According to the ONDCP, the HIDTA program, which was created by Congress in 1988, serves as a catalyst for coordination among federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug trafficking regions of the United States.  Law enforcement organizations working within HIDTAs assess drug-trafficking issues and design specific initiatives to decrease the production, transportation, distribution, and chronic use of drugs and money laundering.  There are currently 28 HIDTAs across the country, including the Appalachia HIDTA.

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