'Operation Winter Is Coming' Targets Illicit Narcotics In RivCo

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — The six-week results of a law enforcement operation targeting illicit drugs in Riverside County were released Thursday.

Dubbed "Operation Winter is Coming" by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, the investigations by deputies — in partnership with federal, state and local law enforcement — have resulted in the seizure of over 355 pounds of cocaine, 29 pounds of heroin, 589 pounds of methamphetamine, in excess of 121,000 fentanyl M30 pills, and $1,067,000 in U.S. dollars, according to the sheriff's department.

The sheriff's department did not release specifics about the operation, such as arrests or locations, but did say investigations are continuing.

The department has been very concerned about fentanyl distribution.

"Riverside County has been experiencing an influx of overdoses specifically related to fentanyl distribution within M30 pills," Lt. Sam Morovich reported. "Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 80-100 times stronger than morphine. All drugs and counterfeit pills are themselves deadly because they are often mixed with fentanyl or a derivative of fentanyl. These substances alone or mixed together can kill in very small doses."