$4 million in heroin seized in massive SE DC drug bust

WASHINGTON - Ten people are in custody and an estimated $4 million worth of heroin is off the streets after a massive drug bust in southeast DC.

Police say their investigation shows profits and payments from the heroin sales were funneled through personal and commercial bank accounts. The heroin came from India and Africa made its way to cities and suburbs across the country--including the District.

Investigators say the bust happened along Benning Road SE. Ten people were arrested and four search warrants were served in the investigation. More than 80 pounds of heroin was seized, and it's worth millions.
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"I'm not surprised," said Laveita Vaughn, a southeast DC resident who has called Benning Road home for more than 20 years. "Because I've seen certain things and people do things that I walk away from it because I know it affects all of us, but I'd rather not be around it."

Another southeast resident, Deborah Williams, said the bust is a start, even though most agree there's still a long way to go.

"There's a whole lot more that could be done," Williams said. "A whole lot of things that should have been done a long time ago. It just seems like poor neighborhoods are forgotten these days."

"You can bust them, but there's always going to be another person that's going to sell, it's like a continuous cycle," Vaughn said. "There's always someone who is going to use and there's always someone who is going to sell because they need to use."

In fact, most residents who spoke to FOX 5 Tuesday night said they weren't surprised by the bust, and to them, it's just part of everyday life. Police say they are working to develop a new normal for these residents.