TULSA, Okla. — Oklahoma Highway Patrol said highways are made for access, not for moving drugs.
“I think of Oklahoma city where you have 1-40 and 1-45 and then Tulsa you have 1-44 cutting through the city,” said Trooper Eric Foster with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
“It makes us valuable real estate for the drug organizations and it makes our job that much more difficult for law enforcement,” added Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics Spokesperson Mark Woodward.
Law Enforcement has been dealing with drug trafficking for years. The drugs they see now are more dangerous.
“You start talking about fentanyl where any kind of contact even a microscopic contact can kill a person,” he said. “Several years ago, I made a stop and I got into fentanyl … and got sick,” Foster said.
Four people have been booked in the last week for drug charges but are on hold for Immigration and Customs Enforcement meaning they, and those drugs, aren’t from the U.S. and not even a border shut down can likely stop what is coming through.
Trooper Eric Foster says they approach drug safer as they become more dangerous.
“Just the air that we breathe. When we find drugs like fentanyl or opioids in a vehicle, we must be very careful in how we handle it,” Foster said.
Woodward said even if you did shut down access to the southern border, there are other roads to getting drugs in from all directions.
“Every bit of means you can imagine. Whether it is coming in from across the border in Texas, or Arizona or California, to coming in from Asia on cargo ships or the Canadian border southbound or even coming through aircraft,” he said.
©2022 Cox Media Group