Largest fentanyl bust in Georgia history could impact Columbus
'I think that a lot of people are tired from seeing the bad things that drugs can do, not only to the community but to even family members,' said Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman, adding that fentanyl is one of the leading cause of suicide deaths in Columbus and the state.
He continued, 'That drug bust, it saved a bunch of lives.'
Convicted felon and Atlanta resident 47-year-old Bartholomew Keeton Harralson was arrested. He faces multiple firearm and drug charges, including intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and more.
'I would like to highlight the total amount of fentanyl seized,' said Jae Chung, acting special agent in charge at the Atlanta division of the D.E.A. 'Approximately 97 kilograms in powder- and pill form, which have the potential lethal dose to kill approximately 48 million Americans.'
During the Atlanta bust, 28 firearms were also seized.
'Anything dealing with dealing with drugs, you're going to normally find guns. And so where you find guns, that there is a possibility of violence,' Countryman said.
He anticipates the Atlanta bust will impact the cost and availability of fentanyl locally. In general, the sheriff hopes targeting illicit drug availability in Columbus could also lead to violence reduction.
Countryman said MSCO will continue working with other local law enforcement agencies to tackle drug-related crime in Columbus.
'We're not going to stop until the criminal behavior stops. … But as long as they are going, we're going to bring the fight to them,' Countryman said. 'We're going to turn up the heat and we're not going to run from it. We have the resources, we have the collaboration, and we have fresh legs on the ground.'
According to Countryman, local law enforcement has seized more than $311 million dollars of illicit drugs in the past four years.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
2 hours ago
- The Hill
Mississippi joining 3 other GOP-led states sending National Guard troops to DC
Mississippi on Monday became the fourth Republican-led state to announce plans to send National Guard troops to Washington, D.C. to bolster President Trump's crackdown on crime in the nation's capital. 'I've approved the deployment of approximately 200 Mississippi National Guard Soldiers to Washington, D.C., to support President Trump's effort to return law and order to our nation's capital,' Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) said in a post on the social platform X. 'Crime is out of control there, and it's clear something must be done to combat it,' he continued. 'Americans deserve a safe capital city that we can all be proud of. I know the brave men and women of our National Guard will do an excellent job enhancing public safety and supporting law enforcement.' West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R), South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) all announced over the weekend that they would send hundreds of soldiers from their states to nearly double the 800 D.C. National Guard members already mobilized. All three GOP governors said in their advisories that they were acting on requests from the Trump administration. The president announced a massive crime-fighting effort in Washington last week, with a federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department and infusion of federal agents and National Guard troops. 'Until 4 days ago, Washington, D.C., was the most unsafe 'city' in the United States, and perhaps the World,' Trump wrote in an update on Truth Social early Monday. 'Now, in just a short period of time, it is perhaps the safest, and getting better every single hour!' Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on X on Monday morning that federal authorities made 137 arrests over the weekend, bringing the total arrests since the initiative began to more than 400. 'We are not slowing down,' she wrote. 'We are committed to making DC safe again!' Trump has set his sights on tackling crime in the nation's capital, even as local officials have pushed back on characterizations of violent surges. According to the District's statistics, which Trump has deemed 'fake,' violent crime is down about 26 percent compared to this point last year.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Newsmax Settles Dominion Voting Systems Lawsuit for $67 Million
The move comes after the network was sued for defamation for claiming that the latter's technology was used to rig the 2020 presidential election Newsmax has agreed to pay $67 million to settle a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems. Dominion's lawsuit stemmed from the network's false claims that its voting technology was used to rig the results of the 2020 presidential election. More from TheWrap Newsmax Settles Dominion Voting Systems Lawsuit for $67 Million David Geffen Responds to Ex-Husband's 'Ludicrous and Contrived' Lawsuit: 'Petty Gossip and Salacious Lies' UTA Vice Chairman Jay Sures Ordered to Pay $150K in Legal Fees to Pro-Palestine UCLA Grad Student Paramount Countersues 'Top Gun: Maverick' Writer's Cousin, Who Claims He Wrote Key Scenes Per a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Newsmax will pay out the settlement in three installments over the next two years, including a $27 million payment already made on Aug. 15, $20 million on or before Jan. 15, 2026 and $20 million on or before Jan. 15, 2027. 'We are pleased to have settled this matter,' a Dominion spokesperson told TheWrap. In April, Judge Eric Davis ruled that Newsmax ran more than two dozen defamatory and false statements about Dominion following the 2020 election. However, Davis said that a jury would need to decide on whether Newsmax was liable for actual malice and whether Dominion could collect punitive damages. A trial was expected to start later this year. In a statement, Newsmax said it believed it was 'critically important for the American people to hear both sides of the election disputes that arose in 2020,' adding that it stands by its coverage as 'fair, balanced, and conducted within professional standards of journalism.' The network also said Davis 'ruled in ways that strongly favored the plaintiffs and limited Newsmax's ability to defend itself' and that the Delaware Court 'effectively enforced a confiscation of our property because our reporting was not always sympathetic to Joe Biden.' Additionally, it argued that actions taken against Newsmax – and Fox News who settled a separate lawsuit with Dominion for $787.5 million – represent a 'direct attack on free speech and a free press' and that the judiciary's 'willingness to punish news organizations for reporting on matters of urgent national debate undermines the role of the press in a free society.' 'With these matters resolved, Newsmax is positioned to continue its mission: delivering accurate reporting, fostering vigorous debate, and ensuring Americans have access to diverse viewpoints,' the statement concluded. 'At a time when public trust in media is at historic lows, our commitment to balanced reporting, coverage of critical issues facing Americans and open dialogue has never been more important.' In addition to Dominion, Newsmax also agreed to pay $40 million to settle another defamation lawsuit from the election voting systems company, Smartmatic, last year. Shares of Newsmax, which are up 5.5% during Monday's trading session, are down 84.7% year to date. The post Newsmax Settles Dominion Voting Systems Lawsuit for $67 Million appeared first on TheWrap. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
National guard begins deploying on DC streets after Trump police takeover
National guard begins deploying on DC streets after Trump police takeover The Washington DC national guard began deploying on the city's streets on Tuesday night, as the city's mayor toughened her response to Donald Trump taking control of the city's police force. The unusual federalization of law enforcement in the US capital began a day after the president ordered the troops' arrival, calling Washington DC a 'lawless' city, despite official crime statistics saying otherwise, a White House official confirmed. Muriel Bowser, the Democratic mayor of Washington, hardened her stance on Tuesday night after treading a more diplomatic line earlier in the day. During a live town hall type event on social media on Tuesday night, she described the arrival of federalized national guard as an authoritarian push. Bowser called on DC residents and voters to overcome Trump's move and urged them 'to protect our city, to protect our autonomy, to protect our home rule and get to the other side of this guy and make sure we elect a Democratic House so that we have a backstop to this authoritarian push'. Defense officials had earlier said a small number of the roughly 800 guard members planned for the mission had already been mobilized by Tuesday afternoon, with more expected to arrive in the coming days. About 850 officers and agents took part in a 'massive law enforcement surge' across Washington DC on Monday night and made nearly two dozen arrests, the White House has said. The violent crime rate in Washington DC is at a 30-year low. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday: 'As part of the president's massive law enforcement surge, last night approximately 850 officers and agents were surged across the city. They made a total of 23 arrests, including multiple other contacts.' The arrests consisted of homicide, firearms offences, possession with intent to distribute narcotics, fare evasion, lewd acts and stalking, Leavitt added. 'A total of six illegal handguns were seized off of District of Columbia's streets as part of last night's effort.' Leavitt added: 'This is only the beginning. Over the course of the next month, the Trump administration will relentlessly pursue and arrest every violent criminal in the district who breaks the law, undermines public safety and endangers law-abiding Americans.' The press secretary also told reporters that homeless people have the option to be taken to a homeless shelter and offered addiction and mental health services. 'If they refuse, they will be susceptible to fines or to jail time. These are pre-existing laws that are already on the books. They have not been enforced.' Trump's intervention has been widely condemned as an authoritarian power grab that undermines the autonomy of Washington's DC local government and seeks to distract attention from political problems such as the Jeffrey Epstein files. Bowser had earlier pledged to work 'side by side' with the federal government as national guard troops arrived at their headquarters in the capital. Speaking after a meeting with the attorney general, Pam Bondi, at the justice department, Bowser told reporters: 'You will see the Metropolitan police department (MPD) working side by side with our federal partners in order to enforce the effort that we need around the city.' On Tuesday night she pushed back harder against Trump's couching of Washington DC as a city afflicted with crime and homelessness to the point that it is a crisis requiring federal intervention. Bowser said the issue of homeless people on some DC streets 'triggers something' in Trump 'that has him believing that our very beautiful city is dirty, which it is not'. She went on, referring to the population of the city, which itself is small despite supporting a massive federal workforce in the region: 'We are not 700,000 scumbags and punks.' Bowser has up to now cultivated a delicate working relationship with Trump since his return to power in January, avoiding direct confrontations when possible. She said after the meeting with Bondi: 'What I'm focused on is the federal surge and how to make the most of the additional officer support that we have. We have the best in the business at MPD and chief Pamela Smith to lead that effort and to make sure that the men and women who are coming from federal law enforcement are being well used and that, if there is national guard here, that they're being well used and all in an effort to drive down crime.' Other Democratic mayors across the country had warned Trump against expanding his law and order power grab in other major cities. Trump told reporters on Monday: 'We have other cities also that are bad,' citing the Democratic strongholds of Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. 'And then, of course, you have Baltimore and Oakland. You don't even mention them any more, they're so far gone.' Related: 'Hyperbolic and false': Trump's portrayal of crime in Washington DC has little to do with facts Stephen Miller, an influential White House deputy chief of staff, stepped up the rhetoric on Tuesday, tweeting without evidence: 'Crime stats in big blue cities are fake. The real rates of crime, chaos & dysfunction are orders of magnitude higher. Everyone who lives in these areas knows this. They program their entire lives around it. Democrats are trying to unravel civilization. Pres Trump will save it.' All five cities named by Trump are run by Black mayors. Most were outspoken in denouncing the president's move. Brandon Johnson, Chicago's mayor, said in a statement: 'Sending in the national guard would only serve to destabilize our city and undermine our public safety efforts.' Brandon Scott, the mayor of Baltimore, said: 'When it comes to public safety in Baltimore, he should turn off the rightwing propaganda and look at the facts. Baltimore is the safest it's been in over 50 years.' Barbara Lee, the mayor of Oakland, wrote on X: 'President Trump's characterization of Oakland is wrong and based in fear-mongering in an attempt to score cheap political points.' Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles, where troops were sent earlier this month in a crackdown on protests, posted: 'Another experiment by the Administration, another power grab from local government. This is performative. This is a stunt. It always has been and always will be.' Trump took command of the Washington DC police department and deployed the national guard under laws and constitutional powers that give the federal government more sway over the nation's capital than other cities. But Democrats raised concerns that Washington DC could be a blueprint for similar strong-arm tactics elsewhere. California's governor, Gavin Newsom, warned that Trump 'will gaslight his way into militarising any city he wants in America'. JB Pritzker, the governor of Illinois, said the president 'has absolutely no right and no legal ability to send troops into the city of Chicago, and so I reject that notion'. Coral Murphy Marcos and Joanna Walters contributed reporting Solve the daily Crossword
