Seven people have been arrested either on state or federal drug charges after a multi-agency pre-dawn roundup in Jackson and Pearl River Counties. Beginning at 6 this morning (Tuesday), agents began pounding on the doors of suspects in the Vancleave area known as “The Hill.” At the same time, officers went to the homes of two other suspected drug offenders in Pearl River County.
The operation included local, state and federal officers. Sheriff Mike Ezell says the “The Hill” in Vancleave has been a problem for 30 years. He says dealers there have sold meth, pills,cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana. They’ve also been fencing stolen goods, trading them for narcotics. The sheriff says much of the drug supply comes from Mexico. Tuesday’s operation, he says, will have a big impact on the county and cities.
“After the case we’ve made today, it’s going to put a stop to a lot of this activity. This operation will curtail some of the drug supply in our area,” Sheriff Ezell says.
FBI Special Agent in Charge for Mississippi, Christopher Freeze, said the Safe Streets Task Force has been successful in making progress in the area, especially when it comes to fighting the opioid problem.
“A number of deaths in this general area can be tied to the opioids that were being sold illegally as part of this operation,” Freeze said. “As many as 55,000 people die every year from opioid deaths.”
More arrests are expected. Those who are charged so far are:
Terry Reddix (aka Fathead), Sharon Stallone, John Cooley, Darryl Williams, all of Vancleave; Chris Reddix, Ocean Springs; Requita Magee and Marcel Graves, both of Picayune.
Any further information on this operation will be released by the U.S. Attorney’s office in Gulfport.
