197 arrested in Kentucky summer drug operation

KENTUCKY (FOX 56) — On Friday, the Kentucky State Police announced that a special summer drug operation resulted in nearly 200 arrests.

According to a news release, Operation Summer Heat 2.0 targeted suspected drug networks in Kentucky and was able to seize over $640,000 in drugs.

“Every Kentuckian should be safe and feel safe, and no Kentucky family should feel the pain of losing a loved one to addiction,” Gov. Andy Beshear said. “Because of the Kentucky State Police, we are accomplishing both of these goals, and we are thankful for the agency’s dedication to every single one of our commonwealth’s communities.”

All 16 KSP posts participated in the operation, covering all of Kentucky.

Authorities said 490 charges were issued, with 197 arrests and a combined seizure of 3,002 grams of fentanyl, 1,176 grams of cocaine, 6,046 grams of methamphetamine, 408 grams of heroin, 600 fentanyl pills, 97 hydrocodone doses, 127 oxycodone doses, and 67 doses of hallucinogens.

KSP said troopers also confiscated 82 firearms, $181,381 in cash, and $200,000 worth of stolen property, and also recovered a stolen vehicle.

The investigation remains active, and more arrests are expected in the coming weeks.

“This mission was about more than making arrests; it was about disrupting the criminal enterprises that threaten the safety and health of Kentuckians,” KSP Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr. said. “I am proud of our personnel, who worked tirelessly to take these dangerous drugs off the streets and who will continue working to keep every community safe.”

Arrests across Kentucky State Police posts

• Post 1, Mayfield: 7
• Post 2, Madisonville: 21
• Post 3, Bowling Green: 15
• Post 4, Elizabethtown: 30
• Post 5, Campbellsburg: 10
• Post 6, Dry Ridge: 6
• Post 7, Richmond: 11
• Post 8, Morehead: 7
• Post 9, Pikeville: 30
• Post 10, Harlan: 4
• Post 11, London: 12
• Post 12, Frankfort: 2
• Post 13, Hazard: 1
• Post 14, Ashland: 16
• Post 15, Columbia: 14
• Post 16, Henderson: 11

Kentucky State Police said the most arrests were in Elizabethtown and Pikeville, while the most value in drugs removed was in Pikeville and Frankfort.

Last year, Operation Summer Heat had 206 people arrested and nearly $685,000 worth of drugs confiscated.

In July, the 2024 Crime in Kentucky Report indicated serious crime rates have decreased by nearly 8%, including an 11.55% decrease in drug/narcotic offenses, a 12.7% decrease in homicide offenses, and a 13.78% decrease in sex offenses.

Getting help with drug addiction

The KY HELP Call Center can connect people to treatment by calling 833-859-4357.

Information about treatment programs all across the commonwealth is available at FindHelpNowKy.org.

Information on how to obtain the life-saving drug naloxone, which is used to reverse an opioid overdose, can be found at that website as well as at FindNaloxoneNowKy.