This browser does not support the Video element.
20 arrested in alleged drug trafficking operation near DC elementary school
Twenty people were arrested Wednesday in a large-scale law enforcement operation targeting an alleged drug trafficking network operating near Hendley Elementary School in Southeast Washington, authorities said.
WASHINGTON - Twenty people were arrested Wednesday in a large-scale law enforcement operation targeting an alleged drug trafficking network operating near Hendley Elementary School in Southeast Washington, authorities said.
What we know:
The FBI, working alongside the Metropolitan Police Department and other law enforcement partners, executed 19 search warrants as part of the investigation into suspected crack cocaine distribution in the Washington Highlands neighborhood.
Authorities said the operation was centered around the area of Fourth and Chesapeake streets SE, less than 1,000 feet from the elementary school.
The FBI also credited law enforcement agencies in Fairfax County, Montgomery County and Prince George's County for assisting with the investigation.
What they're saying:
During a news conference, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro displayed surveillance images that she said showed alleged drug transactions taking place in proximity to children.
"Right here we have circled the actual sale of cocaine," Pirro said while describing one image. "Within a few feet is a five-year-old child. This woman, after she buys the cocaine, takes this child by the hand and walks away."
Pirro said there is currently no child endangerment law she can use to prosecute the woman shown in the image for involving a child near the alleged drug deal. She said she plans to send a letter to the D.C. Council urging lawmakers to consider changing the law.
Authorities said investigators recovered multiple firearms and fentanyl equivalent to approximately 6,200 potentially deadly doses during the operation.
Some of the defendants could face life in prison if convicted, while others face mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years, according to prosecutors.
Pirro said cocaine has historically fueled more crime in the District than any other drug and said her office intends to seek enhanced sentences because the alleged drug sales occurred so close to an elementary school.
What's next:
The investigation remains ongoing.
The Source: Information from the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.