MARYSVILLE—The Washington State Narcotics Investigators Association (WSNIA) presented its 2024 Congressional Member of the Year Award on Friday, January 17, to Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) for supporting the efforts of Washington’s 16 multi-jurisdictional drug task forces (MJTFs) in combating the opioid and fentanyl crisis. This marks the first time WSNIA has given an award to a federal legislator.
“We asked him for help, and he responded right away,” Lt. David Hayes of the Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force told the Lynnwood Times. “Two years ago, we asked Congressman Larsen for help because the state of Washington had redirected a federal source of funding for multi-jurisdictional task forces. Congressman Larsen was right there to support us by writing a letter to the Governor [Inslee] asking for a plan to restore funding to drug task forces across the state. He then followed up with a federal bill, expanding some spending at the federal level to affect local drug task forces nationwide, not just in the state of Washington.”
Larsen was able to secure $2.7 million toward drug task force funding from the Washington State Legislature in 2024 in addition to his efforts on federal investment to combat the opioid and fentanyl crisis, including in Byrne JAG funding that supports Washington’s 16 active MJTFs. Last year, Larsen and Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03) introduced the End Fentanyl Trafficking with Local Task Forces Act to establish a dedicated federal funding stream to help MJTFs combat opioid trafficking in Washington state and across the country.
“When I found out the state planned to reduce Byrne JAG funding for MJTFs, I worked with members of Washington’s congressional delegation to urge Governor Inslee to ensure this funding would be replaced and that the state would have a long-term plan to fund MJTFs,” Rep. Larsen said accepting the 2024 Congressional Member of the Year Award by WSNIA. “Thankfully, the Governor included state general funding for MJTFs in the 2024 budget. I have already emphasized to Governor Ferguson the need to continue state funding for MJTFs.”
Larsen and his staff last January released an opioid report that analyzed the opioid epidemic in Northwest Washington while presenting several federal policy recommendations they believe could address the issues facing local communities—prevention, interdiction, treatment and recovery.
To support local efforts to combat the drug crisis plaguing families, Larsen introduced the bipartisan PROTECT Act to give Tribal courts and law enforcement more tools and resources to combat the opioid epidemic, the Closing the Substance Use Care Gap Act of 2024 to award grants to support community-based programs for harm reduction services, and the End Fentanyl Trafficking with Local Task Forces Act of 2024 establishing grants to combat opioid trafficking.
“I could not have introduced these bills without your personal stories, experiences and feedback, and I will need your help to gather more support for these bills and get them across the finish line this Congress. Thank you again for this award. It will serve as a reminder of the work we have done and will continue to do together to combat the crisis, protect our communities and save lives,” Larsen said.
Lt. Hayes shared with the Lynnwood Times that fentanyl and “its derivatives and analogs” are still a leading threat “by far” to Snohomish County residents. However, he added that methamphetamine is making a comeback.
“That stuff will literally drive you crazy before it kills you,” Hayes said referring to the new synthetic makeup of methamphetamine. “P2P meth has been around for a long time. It’s the same kind of meth that the motorcycle clubs used to make. But the base ingredient exchange is completely synthetic and chemical based now….it literally causes meth-induced psychosis.”
Most of the fentanyl sold “on the street” in Snohomish County are now in powder form; not pill anymore, which law enforcement is seeing an increase of what they call additives such as nitazene (linked to overdoses) and xylazine (a powerful sedative).
According to Hayes, fentanyl and meth make their way to Snohomish County mainly through the United States southern border “via transport in a vehicle, car, commercial trucking, and FedEx. Even the U.S. Postal Service is utilized to mail drugs.”
“There’s some fentanyl coming from Canada. They are making fentanyl in Canada, but it’s mostly by and largely coming from the south[ern border],” said Hayes.
“So, we really need to focus on the dealers. We don’t focus on the street-level users very much. We assist some of our local agencies to a lesser degree. But we focus on the drug traffickers that bring all these poisons into the communities,” Hayes told the Lynnwood Times.
This year the drug task force is allocated $2.7 million in the 2025 budget proposed by outgoing Governor Jay Inslee, which is far from the $7 million needed for a fully funded program.
“We would like at least $7 million; that’s what it would take,” Anne Anderson, a lobbyist for the Washington State Narcotics Investigators Association, told the Lynnwood Times.
Author: Mario Lotmore
