Seven arrested, face drug charges in Brown County's largest seizure of powdered fentanyl

BELLEVUE — The Brown County Sheriff's Office announced Thursday it dismantled what it believes to be the largest distributor of fentanyl in the county.

A six-month investigation that coordinated Brown County law enforcement with agencies reaching up to the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration led to the July 10 arrests of seven people associated with a drug-trafficking organization, with more arrests to follow. Those detained are expected to be charged next week on various counts of manufacturing, possessing, and distributing fentanyl, methamphetamines, THC, and cocaine.

The investigation traced the source of the local drug-trafficking operation to a stash house in Chicago where investigators seized nearly 10 kilos of fentanyl. Law enforcement took possession of over 2 kilos of fentanyl in Brown County, the largest seizure of powdered fentanyl in the Brown County Drug Task Force's history, according to the sheriff's office.

"People who distribute fentanyl in our community are ruining lives and killing people," said Brown County Sheriff Todd Delain. "This joint investigation surely saved lives."

The arrests last week were made one day after a 17-year-old Green Bay girl was sentenced to 10 years behind bars for selling fentanyl that ended in another teenager's death and followed a grim trend of drug overdoses in the county and nationwide.

With 2 milligrams of fentanyl being considered lethal, that's nearly 6 million theoretical overdoses in the 12 kilos taken by the investigation.

"That's a significant amount of fentanyl, even if you're in Chicago," said Green Bay Police Chief Chris Davis.

The office was not at liberty to provide details on the investigation's development or speculate on how many more arrests will be made.

Here's a breakdown of the investigation's seizure:

Seized in Brown County:

• 2.199 kilos of marijuana
• 2.088 kilos of fentanyl
• 1.196 kilos of cocaine
• 748 grams of methamphetamine
• Three guns

Seized in Chicago:

• 9.9 kilos of fentanyl
• 2.76 kilos of cocaine
• 460 grams of heroin
• 13 guns