Three men have been indicted as part of an ongoing investigation into a suspected drug ring, according to federal and local sources. The men were arrested in Osceola, Arkansas, and are now facing federal gun and drug charges. They are among 70 people charged with drug crimes — over 40 federal indictments — as part of the operation. If they are found guilty, they could face years in prison.
The operation, called Blynd Justice, was announced in 2015. It was spearheaded by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force, and it aimed to shut down several suspected large trafficking rings in the northeast Arkansas area. In the first wave of arrests, some 50 people in Blytheville were charged with possession and distribution of drugs like crack cocaine and methamphetamines.
The current arrests of three men, a 30-year-old, a 36-year-old and a 38-year-old, represent a continuation of this operation. The men are facing charges including distributing methamphetamine, crack, and powder cocaine, as well as firearms possession charges related to furthering drug trafficking. The indictments allege the men were known for distributing drugs from a home in Osceola, which they are believed to have done between January and August 2017.
Large-scale anti-drug operations of this type are highly involved and are administrated by dozens of law enforcement officers. With this in mind, it is important to remember that human error and even corruption can influence the outcome of such investigations. Each man will be represented by criminal defense counsel that will work to counter the drug crimes charges against them by referring carefully to the arrest records and the record of the operation at large. If there is reasonable doubt that any of the three men were involved in trafficking, the charges against them could be reduced, or in some cases, even dropped.