Federal, state and local officers are continuing to serve search and arrest warrants for members and suppliers of a $9.5-million drug trafficking organization in Stephens County.
Two hundred law enforcement officers from all levels are in the process of serving 20 search warrants and 27 arrest warrants for what drug enforcement officials call "Horace Mayfield's drug trafficking organization".
That's according to Mitchell Posey of the Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office, who provided details Wednesday.
"Over the course of 10 months, theAppalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office (ARDEO), with the cooperation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office and the Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, brought down a multifaceted drug trafficking network with tentacles reaching south into Atlanta and north into South Carolina," a written release from Posey states. "Multiple criminal charges will be brought against these persons under the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) statute. Mayfield and his drug trafficking organization have been operating in Stephens County and surrounding communities for many years. Over the course of this investigation, the Mayfield Drug Trafficking Organization can be attributed to 72 kilograms of cocaine, 15 kilograms of methamphetamine and 50 pounds of marijuana with a total street value of $9.5 million."
Sheriff's offices from Banks, Habersham, Lumpkin, Rabun Stephens, Towns, White assisted ARDEO, as did Cleveland Police Department, the Georgia National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, Georgia Department of Public Safety and Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Additionally, the North Georgia Major Offenders Task Force, an FBI-led Safe Streets Task Force consisting of Cherokee County S.O., GBI, Hall County S.O. and Forsyth County S.O.; Conasauga Safe Streets Task Force, an FBI-led SSTF consisting of Calhoun P.D., Chatsworth P.D., Dalton P.D. and Murray County S.O.; Northwest Georgia Criminal Enterprise Task Force, an FBI-led SSTF; Gwinnett County Police Narcotics Unit; Northeast Georgia Regional DTF; Oconee County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Unit (South Carolina); and the Anderson County Sheriff's Office (S.C.).
"This particular investigation is an example of the value of interagency cooperation," Posey's statement reads. "Because of the strong, existing relationships between the participating agencies, agents were able to share intelligence and coordinate the dismantling of a complex drug trafficking organization."
Additional arrests are expected as part of the ongoing investigation.
