September 10, 2019

Fayette County Becomes 23rd West Virginia County To Receive High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Designation

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) today applauded the designation of Fayette County in West Virginia as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). On November 21, 2018, Senator Manchin sent a letter to the Director of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), James Carroll, encouraging the designation of multiple counties in West Virginia as HIDTA. The Senator has also had multiple productive meetings with ONDCP to advocate for counties in West Virginia, highlighting their qualifications for the HIDTA designation. Fayette County is one of the areas nationwide receiving this designation, announced today by Director Carroll. 

The HIDTA designation will enable Fayette County to receive federal resources to further the coordination and development of drug control efforts among federal, state and local law enforcement officials. It also will allow local agencies to benefit from ongoing HIDTA-coordinated initiatives working to reduce drug use and its consequences across the United States.

“I am proud to announce that ONDCP has designated Fayette County as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, which shows that Director Carroll understands the crisis we are facing across our state and the challenges facing Fayette County as they combat the opioid epidemic. We have advocated for Fayette County to receive this designation because of their unique qualifications in combatting the opioid crisis. Unfortunately, Hardy, Nicholas and Tucker counties did not receive the designation this year but we will continue to advocate for them in the future. This designation will ensure law enforcement officials and drug task forces in Fayette County are well equipped to combat the influx of drugs coming into the counties and our entire state. Addressing our state’s opioid crisis is one of my top priorities and I will continue to fight for West Virginia to get the resources we need to end this epidemic,” Senator Manchin said.

Fayette County is the 23rd county in West Virginia to be designated. The following counties also have a HIDTA designation: Berkeley, Boone, Brooke, Cabell, Hancock, Harrison, Jefferson, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Marshall, McDowell, Mercer, Mineral, Mingo, Monongalia, Ohio, Putnam, Raleigh, Wayne, Wood and Wyoming.