MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – WGNS is continuing to track the case that Murfreesboro Police addressed in a press conference earlier this week about a two-year, multi-agency investigation into illegal drugs, gangs, and firearms. Evidently, a case that has led to the indictment of 33 people, with the possibility of more arrests pending. WGNS' Bradly Wilshire takes a more in-depth look into the entire investigation...
The probe began after two overdose deaths in Murfreesboro, with the first reported in 2023. From there, the case quickly expanded to a wide-scale investigative operation involving a large number of police agencies throughout Middle Tennessee.
Undercover work involved not only the Murfreesboro Police Department, but also the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Metro Nashville Police, the DEA, ATF, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Smyrna and La Vergne Police, and the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities uncovered a drug trafficking network involving gang members and cartel suppliers who funneled fentanyl, heroin, meth, and cocaine into Murfreesboro and surrounding communities. A fentanyl lab was dismantled in Nashville, and detectives intercepted plans for a murder-for-hire, stopping a potential homicide in early 2025.
During the investigation, officers executed 17 search warrants and seized:
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15 pounds of fentanyl (powder and pills)
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2.5 pounds methamphetamine, 2.1 pounds heroin, 2 pounds cocaine
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61 firearms, including automatic weapons tied to homicides
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Body armor, suppressors, 15 vehicles, and $175,000 in illicit cash
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Evidence connected to two fatal overdoses
The operation revealed that the seized fentanyl was enough to have produced over three million lethal doses that is thankfully, off the streets of Middle Tennessee.
Charges in the multitude of arrests range from second-degree murder to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Several defendants face weapons violations, drug manufacturing charges, and homicide counts, just to highlight a few.
While 33-people have already been named or arrested, there are still outstanding warrants for additional suspects. You can see the list of names and watch the entire press conference in the original WGNS article HERE.
DISCLAIMER: All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The arrest records or information about an arrest that are published or reported on NewsRadio WGNS and www.WGNSradio.com are not an indication of guilt or evidence that an actual crime has been committed.
