Sen. Inhofe’s office requesting $4M congressional funding to combat Oklahoma illegal marijuana grow operations

morning Welcome to the Oklahoma Sheriff’s Affiliation. My identify is Ray Mcnair. I am the chief director. Uh With me at this time is luke Holland. Chief of employees with uh Senator Inhofe’s workplace. Oh, being director Donnie Anderson, Home Consultant Deputy flooring chief john Pfeifer. The Oklahoma Sheriff’s Affiliation Board of Administrators and the numerous sheriffs that got here to be with us this morning for a while now, sheriffs have been working with the Lawyer Common’s workplace and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and harmful medicine to determine unlicensed develop operations. This morning, we’re right here to speak about attainable congressional funding that can help the O. B. N. And the sheriff’s and shutting down these marijuana develop operations right here to speak extra in depth is luke Holland. Chief of Workers. Senator Inhofe’s workplace. Effectively, thanks guys a lot for being right here. The very first thing I might wish to say on behalf of Jim Inhofe is thanks to our sheriffs, to all of our regulation enforcement officers. It is due to you that we’ve got regulation and order in Oklahoma and we’ve got a protected and free society and we need to thank the entire tireless work that you just guys do every single day, placing yourselves in hurt’s method in order that we will sleep peacefully at night time. We additionally need to thank your entire households for all of the sacrifices that they make on our behalf in addition to they fear about you as you exit in hurt’s solution to shield us. So from the underside of our hearts, I need to say thanks to all of our regulation enforcement officers. It is an honor to be right here with the Sheriff’s at this time and with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics. I grew up in Bartlesville and I bear in mind taking part in as a child on our road with none fear or worry that there was going to be prison exercise. That might maintain me from doing that. That is what all people needs in Oklahoma. That is what all of us need. We wish our youngsters to have the ability to play in our streets with none fears of prison exercise coming their method. And one of many issues that we have seen is we have gone across the state this yr is that there’s an rising concern about unlawful develop operations and the entire prison exercise that’s related to them. It appears more and more the case that there are chinese language mexican Russian prison organizations, cartels which are behind many of those actions they usually’re bringing with them an inventory of horrible’s prison actions which have completely nothing to do with medicine, but additionally should do with human trafficking, cash laundering, weapons trafficking. These are actually severe issues. And so after we found this and realized about it in our, in our time across the state, going round from neighborhood to neighborhood, we name the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and ask them what we might do to assist. One of many issues that they wish to do is to ascertain a unit that’s explicitly devoted to preventing these prison syndications right here in Oklahoma. And so it is Senator Inhofe’s pleasure to request $4 million in directed funding via the Division of Justice to assist set up this unit to struggle these criminals right here in Oklahoma in order that we will have regulation and order for years to come back. And so I will hand it over to Director Donnie Anderson to clarify extra about what he’s seeking to do with this cash. Thanks all for being right here. Thanks luke and thanks Senator Inhofe for uh placing in for this request. Uh if we’re lucky sufficient to get this request, this cash can be further cash that shall be using to face up and enforcement unit to deal with. And solely the medical marijuana challenge that we’re confronted with at this time. We’ve got a professional medical marijuana enterprise in Oklahoma. It is a thriving enterprise. And with that comes the unhealthy actors that can come into play whereas we shall be concentrating on our drug trafficking organizations, their transnational and nationwide drug organizations which have infiltrated Oklahoma. They’re right here in Oklahoma they usually’re not going away anytime quickly. So it’s our hope with this cash and a few further cash that we have uh bought from the capital that we are going to stand these models up uh and proceed doing what we have been doing for this final yr. Uh, we nonetheless have to deal with the burdens that we’re confronted with every single day, from methamphetamine to heroin and fentaNYL right here in Oklahoma. Uh, that is simply one other added strain that we’re having to deal with. So this cash will certainly, if we’re if we’re granted this this request, it’s going to undoubtedly profit us and combating the issue that we’re confronted with right here in Oklahoma. And as soon as once more, that is that is solely to focus on drug trafficking organizations which are transnational and nationwide organizations which are right here in Oklahoma. Uh and I might additionally wish to thank our sheriffs right here in Oklahoma uh for this final a number of months and issues that you have seen that occurred that we have performed throughout state couldn’t have been performed with out our sheriff’s. Uh They’ve performed the heavy lifting with regards to the day to do these search warrants and our county commissioners throughout state. I am unable to say sufficient for all these concerned. Thank thank thank all of them very a lot for his or her help as a result of there is no method that we might have performed this with out him. We’ll proceed doing what we’re doing. And we additionally stay up for the extra cash that uh, that is been appropriated to assist us with this. Uh, and I’ll flip it over to which threatened on road. Yeah. Consultant John Pipher from Home District 38. Um, I simply need to say thanks all for popping out at this time and thanks for the native Sheriff’s Affiliation for internet hosting us. It is a actually big day after we can get our federal delegation to work with our state and county officers to attempt to sort out an issue that you just all know what the issue is. There’s been tales on it. Um, as soon as per week. It looks like right here within the final couple of months we’ve got a big downside with unlawful develop operations that result in different issues like they mentioned, human trafficking cash laundering right here within the state of Oklahoma. We’re not going after. We’ve got a vibrant medical marijuana neighborhood right here. And all we’re attempting to do is cease the individuals had been abusing the scenario and get a deal with on the unlawful aspect of this enterprise that it may take all of us from our federal delegation down via the state with O bien and our county sheriff’s working collectively to lastly type of attempt to get management of the place we bought out of hand. Um, it is a downside that I hear about my district every single day. It is one thing I am glad we’re all lastly getting collectively coalescing round and dealing at um from all completely different ranges. So thanks all for popping out right here at this time. Yeah. And if this time for ultimate feedback, I might wish to introduce the Oklahoma share affiliation, president and Sheriff of Seminole County Sheriff Shannon Smith. Good morning. Thanks for being right here. We’re very lucky the state of Oklahoma to have state federal assets that may work collectively together with county and native entities. No, the Director Anderson, we, we put collectively some native job drive to assist fight um, this criminality. We’re doing all the pieces in our energy is the sheriff to assist Oklahoma Bureau and iconic D. E. A. And and different companies do what they should do as all of the sheriffs behind me. Be glad to let you know that we stand behind no being and their mission every single day and with that, um, we’re simply really grateful that we’ve got that working relationship with over you. Thanks.

Sen. Inhofe’s workplace requests $4M congressional funding to fight Oklahoma unlawful marijuana develop operations

Up to date: 11:33 AM CDT Jul 7, 2021

Sen. Jim Inhofe’s workplace introduced Wednesday it is requesting $4 million in directed funding via the Division of Justice to help Oklahoma regulation enforcement in combating unlawful marijuana develop operations throughout the state, and associated prison enterprises, together with drug trafficking, cash laundering, human trafficking and extra. “It appears more and more the case that there are Chinese language, Mexican, Russian prison organizations, cartels which are behind many of those actions and they’re bringing with them an inventory of horrible prison actions which have completely nothing to do with medicine, but additionally should do with human trafficking, cash laundering, weapons trafficking. These are very severe issues,” mentioned Luke Holland, Chief of Workers for Inhofe’s workplace. Holland mentioned that OBN officers need to set up a unit devoted to preventing the prison actions related to unlawful develop operations. The funding Inhofe’s workplace requested would assist set up this unit.“This cash can be further cash we might be using to face up and implement some models to deal with solely the medical marijuana challenge that we face with at this time,” mentioned OBN director Donnie Anderson. “We’ve got professional medical marijuana enterprise in Oklahoma, it’s a thriving enterprise and with that can come the unhealthy actors that can come to play. We shall be specializing in drug trafficking organizations, they’re transnational and nationwide drug organizations which have infiltrated Oklahoma, they’re right here in Oklahoma and they aren’t going away any time quickly.”

OKLAHOMA CITY —

Sen. Jim Inhofe’s workplace introduced Wednesday it is requesting $4 million in directed funding via the Division of Justice to help Oklahoma regulation enforcement in combating unlawful marijuana develop operations throughout the state, and associated prison enterprises, together with drug trafficking, cash laundering, human trafficking and extra.

“It appears more and more the case that there are Chinese language, Mexican, Russian prison organizations, cartels which are behind many of those actions and they’re bringing with them an inventory of horrible prison actions which have completely nothing to do with medicine, but additionally should do with human trafficking, cash laundering, weapons trafficking. These are very severe issues,” mentioned Luke Holland, Chief of Workers for Inhofe’s workplace.

Holland mentioned that OBN officers need to set up a unit devoted to preventing the prison actions related to unlawful develop operations. The funding Inhofe’s workplace requested would assist set up this unit.

“This cash can be further cash we might be using to face up and implement some models to deal with solely the medical marijuana challenge that we face with at this time,” mentioned OBN director Donnie Anderson. “We’ve got professional medical marijuana enterprise in Oklahoma, it’s a thriving enterprise and with that can come the unhealthy actors that can come to play. We shall be specializing in drug trafficking organizations, they’re transnational and nationwide drug organizations which have infiltrated Oklahoma, they’re right here in Oklahoma and they aren’t going away any time quickly.”