United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld has been named as chairperson of the Washington-Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (W/B HIDTA) Executive Board and will lead efforts in the region to combat the trafficking of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other illicit substances.
The W/B HIDTA supports 43 drug task forces from Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and West Virginia. In 2022, these units collectively seized nearly nine thousand kilograms of drugs with a wholesale value of $107.5 million and disrupted or dismantled 134 criminal organizations. The W/B HIDTA also supports substance use prevention and treatment initiatives.
“I’m honored to serve as chair of this important group and I’ll use the opportunity to strengthen the response in the eastern United States to the threat posed by Mexican drug cartels,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld.
Ihlenfeld will lead an executive board that is responsible for assessing the drug trafficking threats found in the region; developing a strategy to address the threats; designing initiatives to implement the strategy; and proposing funding needed to carry out the initiatives.
W/B HIDTA Executive Director Tom Carr has worked with Ihlenfeld for over a decade. They regularly discuss strategies how best to respond to the dangers posed by illicit drugs.
“The Washington-Baltimore HIDTA is fortunate to have an experienced federal prosecutor like U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld to lead our executive board and to help identify solutions to the problems caused by drug trafficking in the region,” said Director Carr.
The Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force and The Martinsburg Initiative - an evidence-based prevention program that focuses on aiding children in Berkeley County Schools – are both supported by W/B HIDTA funding.
Ihlenfeld previously served as Vice Chairperson and Budget Chair for the W/B HIDTA. He also has served as chairperson of the Appalachia HIDTA.
Original source can be found here.