Law enforcement officials in eastern Oklahoma say 2026 is already shaping up to be a significant year in the ongoing fight against drug trafficking, with early figures surpassing totals from the previous year.

According to District 27 District Attorney Jack Thorp, the District 27 Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force has made substantial progress in just the first two and a half months of the year, seizing more fentanyl and methamphetamine than was confiscated during all of 2025.

District 27 includes Wagoner, Cherokee, Adair and Sequoyah counties. From Jan. 1 through March 15, the task force investigated nearly 60 drug-related cases and executed 30 search warrants. Those efforts resulted in the seizure of more than 1,200 grams of fentanyl, over 7,500 grams of methamphetamine and several hundred pounds of illegal marijuana. Authorities also reported 56 arrests connected to those investigations.

“These poisons have harmed a lot of people in our communities,” Thorp said. “We will continue this fight against drug trafficking and work closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute the distribution of these dangerous substances.”

In addition to drug enforcement efforts, the task force has also addressed violent crime across the district. Since the beginning of the year, agents have investigated more than a dozen violent incidents and made 13 arrests in those cases.

Thorp praised the work of the task force, highlighting the collaboration among agencies and the commitment of officers in the field.

“I want to congratulate the Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force agents for the tremendous work that they do in our communities,” he said. “Their hard work, dedication and willingness to assist other law enforcement officers in combatting drug trafficking is incredible.”

Officials say the early results reflect a continued, coordinated effort to disrupt the flow of dangerous drugs into eastern Oklahoma com-District munities.