DES MOINES, Iowa — Twenty-seven people are facing federal drug trafficking charges after several state and federal law enforcement agencies executed search warrants Wednesday, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
A statement from the attorney's office says 27 people were charged in two separate indictments related to heroin and fentanyl trafficking. Authorities arrested 24 of those charged while three remain at large.
Of those charged, 21 are from Des Moines, five are from Chicago and one is from Knoxville.
It's all part of an investigation led by the U.S. Attorney's Office into fentanyl and heroin distribution in the Des Moines area. The charges carry maximum penalties of up to life in prison.
Malek Holmes of Des Moines faces a possible 10-year mandatory minimum prison sentence while 18 others face five-year mandatory minimum prison sentences if convicted.
The indictment that lists Holmes and 23 others shows all are charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Court documents did not reveal specifics behind the allegations, but one indictment says the conspiracy involved more than one kilogram or more of heroin and a mixture containing 400 or more grams of fentanyl-based on federal law.
More than 20 law enforcement agencies assisted with the operation, including officers from local police departments and sheriff's offices and agents from FBI field offices across the Midwest.
Records show some of those arrested have already made initial court appearances or have been released on bond. Others are ordered held pending trial and some have court appearances scheduled for next week.
Back in November, authorities conducted a similar operation resulting in several arrests.
Lieutenant Ryan Evans of the Polk County Sheriff's Office says operations like this one are not unusual.
"When you bring this number of people in from all the different agencies all for one operation. Again, it's just not frequent. But it does happen," Lt. Evans said.
While Lt. Evans could not comment on the specifics of this ongoing investigation, he did say the goals of operations like this is to keep people safe.
"Every time we have an operation like this one, or others that might be similar in size, or have a different mission involved, it's a great thing that we're out there doing it because it always makes the streets much safer," he said.