U.S. Attorney Brady Announces HIDTA Designation for Westmoreland County

Westmoreland joins 3 other Southwestern PA counties in heightened effort to combat drug trafficking and reduce the supply of illegal drugs

PITTSBURGH – United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today that Westmoreland County has been officially designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) by the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy. Westmoreland joins three other southwestern Pennsylvania counties - Allegheny, Beaver and Washington - in receiving dedicated federal resources to coordinate federal, state and local governments to fight drug trafficking and abuse.

"Law enforcement across western Pennsylvania will be strengthened through this HIDTA designation," said U.S. Attorney Brady. "Westmoreland County will be able now to access critical funding to decrease the availability of illicit drugs, to investigate and prosecute the leaders of drug trafficking organizations, and to significantly reduce the violence that results from illegal drug trafficking."

According to U.S. Attorney Brady, drug trafficking organizations from multiple cities from New York to Chicago utilize Westmoreland County and its throughways to facilitate illegal drug trafficking. Those throughways include Interstate 76 (the Pennsylvania Turnpike) and Interstate 70, as well as U.S. Routes 22, 119, 66, and 30, along with numerous state routes which serve as connectors between Westmoreland County and other local and out of state source areas for heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine.

"With the presence of major highways in Westmoreland County, drug traffickers from outside our county have easy access to our communities," said Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck. "HIDTA funds will be a great resource to fight the ever-challenging efforts of drug traffickers."

"Too many families in southwestern Pennsylvania have been tragically affected by the opioid epidemic," said Congressman Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14). "Our law enforcement officers are on the front lines battling this epidemic every day, working to keep our communities safe. I was proud to support Westmoreland’s HIDTA designation request, and am grateful to U.S. Attorney Scott Brady and Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck, as well as the Trump Administration, for ensuring our region has the resources necessary to combat this crisis and save lives."

"The Pennsylvania State Police is a strong partner with all of the law enforcement agencies who are working daily to combat drug trafficking, and this HIDTA designation will help expand our efforts," added Major Stephen Eberle of the Pennsylvania State Police.

"The designation of Westmoreland County as a HIDTA county will bring federal funding, increased sharing of intelligence, analytical support, enhanced training opportunities, and a cooperative effort between the local, state and federal partners," said Derek M. Siegle, Executive Director of the Ohio HIDTA.

U.S. Attorney Brady thanked Pennsylvania’s United States Senators Pat Toomey and Robert Casey, Governor Tom Wolf, Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck, the Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the US Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as local law enforcement who supported and worked in concert to receive this designation.

Westmoreland County is the second largest county in the Western District of Pennsylvania, covering over 1,027 square miles with a population of 350,611. The County joins the program’s Ohio HIDTA region, which includes Ohio, Western Pennsylvania and Northern Kentucky.