Law enforcement agencies executed a search warrant at the Journey Inn Motel in Elyria over the weekend and seized illegal contraband from an international drug trafficker.
Lorain police said the search warrant was obtained as the result of an investigation focusing on international drug traffickers brining drugs into Lorain County. A man was arrested early Saturday morning as a result of the warrant, but authorities are still confirming his identity.
Over 400 grams of suspected opioids and fentanyl were confiscated, police said. According to authorities, the drugs had been divided into more than 40 smaller packages that police believe the man ingested before entering the U.S.
This investigation involved the Lorain Police Department Narcotics Unit, the Elyria Police Department Narcotics Unit and the Lorain County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area to include the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
To combat the opioid epidemic plaguing Northeast Ohio, the Department of Justice has announced a new program that will seek the prosecution of drug cases involving the distribution of fentanyl in Lorain County. The program is a combined effort with the U.S. Attorney's Office, Lorain County Prosecutor's Office, Elyria Police Department, Lorain Police Department, Lorain County Sheriff's Office, as well as the local offices of the DEA and FBI.
