COLUMBUS—State Senator Steve Wilson (R-Maineville) released the following statement in response to the U.S. Attorney's announcement of a record drug bust in Parkersburg, West Virginia, with an investigation that stretched across multiple states from Dayton, Ohio to Arizona:

"I cannot express how proud I am to know that our local law enforcement played an important role in stopping heroin, cash and approximately 150 pounds of methamphetamines from hitting the streets—a new record in both Ohio and West Virginia. Since I have been in office, the Ohio Senate has led a number of initiatives, including priority Senate Bill 1, to crack down on the dealers and traffickers who are responsible for pushing dangerous drugs into our communities. This bust is a sign to dealers everywhere that we are not going to take our foot off the gas, and we will never stop working to protect our citizens. I applaud the good work of everyone involved in this bust. If we continue to work together with our partners across the country, I am confident we can get a handle on this terrible epidemic."

Officials with the U.S. Attorney's office, the FBI, as well as state and local law enforcement in Ohio and West Virginia, announced the drug bust Thursday at the Parkersburg City Building. Thirty people will now face drug charges in connection with the multi-state drug trafficking organization. For more information, click here.