McConnell announces Bullitt County's inclusion in federal program aimed at combatting drug trafficking

SHEPHERDSVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell traveled to Bullitt County on Thursday announce its inclusion into a federal program focused on high-intensity drug trafficking areas.

Bullitt County will now be part of the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program, joining Jefferson County, Nelson County and several others in the southeastern part of the state.

"This is a big deal," McConnell said Thursday in Shepherdsville. "This is a program that actually gets results."

The announcement means federal dollars for drug task forces are coming to Bullitt County, bringing together local, state and federal resources to provide personnel, equipment and training.

"This designation will help equip Bullitt County with the resources it needs to combat drug trafficking and the violence that comes along with it," McConnell said. "It will give law enforcement a fighting chance at cutting off the flow of illicit drugs at its source."

HIDTA operates under the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. Thirty-eight Kentucky counties are included, meaning more than half of Kentuckians live in a HIDTA county, McConnell's office said in a news release Thursday.

"Securing a HIDTA designation has been a top priority in Bullitt County for years, and the uptick in illegal drugs infiltrating our community has further proven this need," Bullitt County Judge/Executive Jerry Summers said in a news release Thursday. "Senator McConnell has been a key ally in our fight against drug trafficking, and his help securing this recognition has been crucial. Bullitt County will be better equipped to tackle this region’s substance abuse epidemic and keep our families safe from illegal drugs."