NORTH HUNTINGDON, PA — State narcotics agents in southwestern Pennsylvania seized 41 firearms in January during drug trafficking investigations, marking what officials believe is a single-month high for the region and highlighting the risks officers face when serving warrants and making arrests.
What This Means for You
- Forty-one guns were seized in one month in Allegheny, Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties.
- Agents also confiscated cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and more than 63,000 doses of fentanyl.
- Nine arrests have been made so far in cases involving illegally possessed firearms.
Attorney General Dave Sunday announced the seizures alongside federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. The firearms were recovered by the Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigation during drug trafficking cases in Region 5, which includes Allegheny, Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties.
Agents believe the 41 firearms seized in January represent a record single-month total for the region. The total number of firearms seized in the region this year has reached 48.
In addition to firearms, investigators seized more than 12 pounds of cocaine, one pound of crack cocaine, more than 63,000 doses of fentanyl, and quantities of heroin and marijuana.
Nine individuals have been arrested so far in connection with approximately 20 cases involving illegally possessed firearms.
“These numbers are rewarding as they show the progress our team, along with partners at all levels, are making in efforts to remove firearms from the hands of drug traffickers,” Sunday said. He added that the seizures also reflect “the firepower our brave officers encounter when they enter a home with a warrant, or make a traffic stop.”
Where Seizures Occurred
Most of the firearms recoveries occurred outside the city of Pittsburgh, according to the Attorney General’s Office. The two largest seizures took place in Fayette and Somerset counties, where investigations remain ongoing regarding those firearms.
Sunday was joined at a press event by representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, the Pennsylvania State Police, and district attorneys from Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties, along with municipal police departments.
Officials said the increased number of seized firearms underscores the intersection of drug trafficking and illegal gun possession in the region and the dangers officers face during narcotics enforcement operations.
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