Attorney general wants Yakima included in federal fentanyl reduction initiative

YAKIMA — Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson wants Yakima to be included in a federal initiative to crack down on fentanyl.

Ferguson, who has announced he will run for governor next year, said in a news release that he is asking the U.S. Department of Justice to include Yakima, Everett and Spokane in “Operation Overdrive,” a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration initiative targeting drug-related crime.

“We must foster strong partnerships and share intelligence among local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to focus our tools where they can have the most impact,” Ferguson said in the release. “My office has recovered more than $1 billion and counting to combat the fentanyl epidemic, but more is needed to identify and dismantle criminal drug networks.”

Launched in February 2022, Operation Overdrive targets cities identified through data analysis as “hot spots” for drug-related violence and overdose deaths, and directing efforts at targeting and dismantling drug distribution networks.

The initial effort identified 34 cities, and Ferguson is asking for three Washington cities with fentanyl issues to be added.

In Yakima County, Ferguson said fentanyl overdoses more than doubled between 2019 and 2021.

Data from the Yakima County Coroner’s Office showed there were 10 fentanyl-related deaths in 2019, going up to 57 by 2021. The number includes both pure fentanyl and mixtures with fentanyl present.

In 2022, fentanyl was a factor in 43 overdose deaths, according to the coroner’s office. In an earlier interview, Yakima County Sheriff Bob Udell attributed the decline in deaths not to a reduction in use but an increase in the use of naloxone, an opioid antidote.

Ferguson said including Yakima would have a “ripple effect” on surrounding communities, noting that fentanyl deaths were also occurring on the Yakama Reservation.