Gang members among 33 charged in White County meth trafficking ring

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — Authorities announced Thursday that 33 people with gang ties had been indicted in a White County drug trafficking ring.

Allison Bragg, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Little Rock, said in a news conference that members of the Gangster Disciples and their associates are among those facing counts of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. They also face gun charges.

Eight of those indicted remained at large Thursday and were considered fugitives.

Bragg said an investigation began in April after authorities expressed concern over an increase in violent crime in the Searcy area. Authorities learned that a drug ring had been operating in the area for at least a decade. Authorities eventually seized more than 105 pounds of meth and 50 firearms.

The investigation, dubbed “Operation Central Sweep,” was led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Also involved in the investigation were Searcy police, the White County sheriff’s office and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.