Nearly 100 law enforcement officers participated in Wednesday’s operation, including the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), U.S. Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia State Patrol, Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, Milledgeville Police Department, Wilkinson County Sheriff’s Office, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and Eatonton Police Department. 

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — A nearly two-year undercover probe by local, state and federal law enforcement officers resulted in 21 arrests on assorted criminal charges Wednesday in Baldwin County.

Charges against those arrested range from criminal gang affiliation to the sale of various drugs, including heroin, the sale of guns, and dog fighting, authorities said. Many of those arrested thus far are known to be members of the 92 Blood Gang.

Many of those taken into custody Wednesday face both state and federal charges.

In addition to the 21 arrests, at least four other suspects remained at-large as of presstime Wednesday. Four other suspects are incarcerated in various county jails, while one is confined to a state prison.

Many of those arrested in the raids that began shortly after daybreak throughout neighborhoods in Milledgeville and Baldwin County involved persons already indicted by a federal grand jury on various criminal charges, according to Baldwin County Sheriff Bill Massee.

Milledgeville Police Chief Dray Swicord said he had waited 31 years to see these kinds of arrests and the sort of cooperation between multiple law enforcement agencies that he witnessed Wednesday.

“This is long overdue,” Swicord said, noting he wanted to thank every one of the law enforcement agencies for their assistance thus far in the investigation.

Massee said this particular drug investigation had been very unusual for many reasons.

“This didn’t begin as a narcotics investigation,” Massee said. “It purely started as an investigation into a series of drive-by shootings that we had in the city as well as in Baldwin County. The number of those shootings was just unbelievable. In fact, everywhere we went people said, gosh I can’t believe y’all got all of those shootings over there.”

Massee commended the federal law enforcement agencies that took part in the investigation.

“They came in here and really helped us,” Massee said. “We had something to happen in this investigation that we’ve never had before and that’s ATF. They came to some of the city crime scenes and some of the county crime scenes and showed us on a flow-chart where these guns were used and where the guns were used in shootings on houses.” 

Nearly 100 law enforcement officers participated in Wednesday’s operation, including the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), U.S. Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia State Patrol, Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, Milledgeville Police Department, Wilkinson County Sheriff’s Office, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and Eatonton Police Department. 

Ocmulgee Drug Task Force Commander Wesley Nunn called the investigation as an intense one and “very dynamic.”

The drug commander, whose agency investigates drug cases in several surrounding counties including Baldwin County, helped coordinate the massive roundup of drug and gang member suspects along with Massee, Swicord and Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit District Attorney Stephen A. Bradley.

During a briefing with the multiple law enforcement agency officers that assembled for breakfast at an undisclosed location prior to the roundup of the suspects, Nunn said at three persons were arrested on various drug charges Tuesday. One of them reportedly tried to sell nine ounces of heroin to an undercover agent.

The heroin had an estimated street value of $24,000, said Nunn.

Nunn identified that particular suspect as Delma Goddard, of Milledgeville. He was charged with sale of nine ounces of heroin, the drug commander said.

Authorities also seized a car, a pickup truck, an SUV, a boat, two four-wheelers and two motorcycles from the residence the suspect’s residence.

The heroin, which originated from the Mexican Drug Cartel, is believed to be the largest purchase of heroin ever made in Baldwin County.

“That’s the most we’ve ever seized here in Baldwin County,” Massee said, noting that during the course of the investigation lawmen had discovered nine different weapons — all of which had been stolen from local residences over a period of time.

“I can’t tell you what this is going to do as far as the crime situation goes here in Baldwin County,” Massee said. “We started this as a violent investigation involving guns and it quickly moved to drugs and gangs. We’re amazed at the gang membership of the Blood Gang here in Baldwin County.”

Massee said he and other lawmen within his department and other law enforcement agencies also had been amazed at the volume of narcotics being sold in the city and county.

He described the criminal investigation and cooperation that he and his department had received as one of the most smoothest he’s ever been a part of in his long law enforcement career.

“And from an intelligence standpoint, we have learned a lot of information about what’s going on throughout the city and in the county,” Massee said.