19 charged in Virginia drug-trafficking ring

[SummerMadness]

19 charged in Virginia drug-trafficking ring

Federal, state, and local officials say 19 people have been arrested on federal drug-trafficking, firearms, and other charges after a months-long, multi-agency investigation.

"The modern opioid epidemic is one of the most vexing problems faced by law enforcement and public-health officials," U.S. Attorney Thomas Cullen stated today. "As U.S. Attorney, I am committed to prosecuting individuals and organizations who distribute Fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine and working with our federal, state, and local law-enforcement partners to stanch the flow of these deadly drugs into Western Virginia. But while I firmly believe that vigorous enforcement is critical to addressing this epidemic, we also support meaningful treatment initiatives for those suffering from drug addictions and targeted outreach to prevent others from having their lives destroyed by these deadly substances."

Perhaps it's just me, but when I see the people arrested here, they are not the real culprits and should not be punished for this ridiculous war on drugs. The real contributors and criminals in this epidemic have been in front of us the whole time: The man who made billions of dollars from OxyContin is pushing a drug to wean addicts off opioids

Following hundreds of lawsuits over the years against pharmaceutical giant Purdue Pharma, Colorado's attorney general is suing the OxyContin creator for its "significant role in causing the opioid epidemic."

The lawsuit claims Purdue Pharma L.P. and Purdue Pharma Inc. deluded doctors and patients in Colorado about the potential for addiction with prescription opioids and continued to push the drugs. And it comes amid newst hat the company's former chairman and president, Richard Sackler, has patented a new drug to help wean addicts from opioids.