Joint work was key in success of drug bust

MOREHEAD CITY - They wear stars and shields and they came together from three counties with a common goal: taking drugs off the streets of area communities.

Police officers, sheriff deputies and federal law enforcement agents from 10 agencies across Onslow, Carteret and Craven counties shared information and resources and closed out a five-month undercover drug operation this weekend with 738 drug offenses and other charges filed against 164 suspects.

Operation Stars and Shields, a reference to the badges worn by sheriff deputies and police officers, took cocaine, marijuana and other illegal drugs off the streets.

It's also the latest example of how cooperation works.

"This operation, like those before, is proof positive that area law enforcement agencies are working together and making a difference," said Carteret County Sheriff Asa Buck, who led a Tuesday afternoon press conference about the operation.

Participating in Operation Stars and Shields were the Onslow County Sheriff's Department, the Carteret County Sheriff's Office, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service at Camp Lejeune and police departments in Jacksonville, Newport, Beaufort, Morehead City, Havelock and Swansboro. New Bern Police Department provided assistance, Buck said.

Early last year, a similar multi-jurisdiction operation involved many of the same agencies. That effort, tagged Operation No Boundaries, referred to a drug trade that crosses city and county lines.

"These dealers don't just sell drugs in Carteret County; they don't just sell drugs in Onslow County and they don't just sell in Morehead City or Jacksonville," Buck said.

Working together, agencies can cross jurisdictions and share manpower and other resources that they may not have when working individually.

"There's really no down side. Any time you can share information and combine resources, it is going to benefit the community," said Jacksonville Police Department Deputy Police Chief Paul Spring.

Jacksonville Police Department had arrest warrants drawn on 30 different individuals as a result of the operation. Fourteen suspects were arrested Saturday and another was picked up Monday.

The operation targeted street-level and mid-level drug dealers and agencies across the three-county area found a common threat: there was no single drug of choice.

"They had cocaine; they had prescription drugs; they had marijuana. It ran the gamut," said a Jacksonville detective who worked undercover during the operation and kept his identity anonymous.

While they kept out of view of cameras to protect their identities, the undercover officers who attended Tuesday's press conference didn't go unnoticed by the law enforcement officials present.

"They spent long hours away from their families and we say thank you," Buck said.

As a result of Operation Stars and Shields, law enforcement officials seized more than $13,000 in cash; seven vehicles; 6,384 grams of marijuana; 932 grams of powder and crack cocaine; 2,415 prescription pills; 110 doses of ecstasy; and 86 grams of hallucinogenic mushrooms.

"The street value on the drugs seized is estimated at $135,000 to $150,000 dollars," Buck said.

Also seized were two military-issued ballistic vests and 12 firearms, including two sawed off shotguns and one fully automatic rifle, he said.

Morehead City police charged 25 individuals with 71 felonies and had arrested 18 of its suspects as of Tuesday.

Detective Ken Jackson of the Swansboro Police Department said he has not filed charges but expects to start some investigations as a result of information that has come from the operation.

As the department's only detective, he knows the value of cooperation well.

"It gives you a chance to work with other jurisdictions, share ideas and exchange information," he said.

Operation Stars and Shields is an example of the success that can come from cooperation, but good working relationships between agencies should always be in place, Buck said.

"We work as individual agencies but we also work as a team," he said.

Contact Carteret County reporter Jannette Pippin at jpippin@freedomenc.com or 252-808-2275. Visit www.jdnews.com to comment on this report.