Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office shares details on massive operation that seized nearly $280 million in drugs, 101 arrests

COLUMBUS, Ga. ( WRBL ) — Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman and his federal and local law enforcement partners say the streets of Columbus are safer now than they were a few days ago.

At a news conference on Friday morning the sheriff, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Harris and Russell County Sheriff’s Office announced 101 arrests and millions of dollars in drug, gun and cash seizures.

The operation conducted Thursday in Columbus and beyond was dubbed “Sweet Silence.” It started as a Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office investigation two years ago.

The target was criminal street gangs in Columbus — primarily the Zohannons and the Crips.

By the time the operation hit the streets in the early morning hours Thursday, there were multiple federal, local and state agencies on the ground in Columbus.

The FBI brought in about 250 agents and analysts. Included in that number were seven SWAT teams to assist in the apprehension of suspects considered armed and dangerous.

Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman says stopping and disrupting the gang activity in Columbus is a top priority.

He issued this warning to gang members.

“If you’re involved in criminal activity, I want to send this message to you,” said Countryman. “Just because your name was not caught in the arrest yesterday, I don’t want you to relapse. I don’t want you to breathe a breath of fresh air, a sigh of relief, because our work is not done.  Just because you were not arrested does not mean that we’re not looking at you. So don’t get too comfortable because our work is not finished.”

155 guns and 496 pounds of methamphetamine with a street value of 22.4 million dollars were among the items seized.

You can find the full breakdown below:

• 155 firearms
  $273,433 US currency
• 496lbs of methamphetamine
  ($22,458,880 street value)
• 57.21 kilos of cocaine
  ($5,748,296 street value)
• 7.1 kilos of fentanyl
  ($707,273.60 street value)
• 55,248 pounds of marijuana
  ($250,162,944 street value)
  Includes large amount of illegal marijuana grown in Butte County, Ca.
• 1.3 kilos of heroin
  ($130,859.20 street value)
• 5.9lbs of GHB
  ($267,152 street value)
• 755.8 grams of mushroom
  ($15,116 street value)

Countryman and others say this is an ongoing operation and could lead to additional arrests.

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