The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department has recently been cooperating with sheriff’s departments in two other counties for a drug interdiction effort, attempting to combat the flow of narcotics and other substances on major thoroughfares in the region.

Monroe County Sheriff Neal Rohlfing said the effort involves the Washington County and Montgomery County sheriff’s offices, their eyes particularly trained on interstate highways in the region.

“We’ve kinda partnered together in the last year and a half to go after major drug trafficking organizations that are moving large amounts of narcotics and U.S. currency through the region,” Rohlfing said. “With the four interstates coming through, obviously we have a lot of drugs and money coming through here. Monroe County is a part of that region with 255, but the major thoroughfares are Interstate 55 and Interstates 70 and 64.”

Rohlfing also explained that, while his department does have officers focused on drug interdiction on roads in Monroe County, the collaboration between departments is geared toward the greater degree of activity in other parts of the region rather than locally on I-255 and Route 3.

I-64 runs through Washington County, which includes the towns of Okawville and Nashville. I-55 runs through Montgomery County, which includes such towns as Litchfield and Hillsboro.

Offering a selection of statistics regarding the departments’ combined work in 2024, Rohlfing noted about 1,000 pounds of marijuana had been seized.

He further explained these seizures do not involve those possessing small quantities or transporting it for legal sale. Rather, the departments stop and seize those with substantial amounts of cannabis intended to be sold outside of controlled and taxed avenues.

“We’re not pulling people over with a gram or two of marijuana,” Rohlfing said. “These are people with 50 or 250, 500 pounds of marijuana, and they actually are part of federal criminal cases.”

Further drug seizures involved 44 pounds of psilocybin mushrooms.

Most recently, on Jan. 31, the departments also seized approximately 100 pounds of suspected methamphetamine.

Stops among these departments as part of the interdiction effort additionally included six stolen firearms and five full extradition warrants.

A substantial amount of money was also seized through 2024 totalling about $502,000. Rohlfing noted one instance where about $140,000 was seized toward the end of the year.

Asked where this money goes, Rohlfing said the department is able to use the funds on matters such as equipment, training, education efforts and other drug enforcement actions.

He elaborated that funds often go toward keeping the department technologically up-to-date when it comes to radios, computers squad cars, tasers and less lethal options for stops and altercations.

“That is all forfeited through the state, and the state has strict guidelines on what we can spend the money on,” Rohlfing said.

He also explained these seizures occur as individuals transport large amounts of currency for cartels or other organizations. Some such individuals are sometimes armed or are simply “mules” with little to no criminal history.

Rohlfing emphasized that the major activity being addressed by the collaborating departments takes place beyond Monroe County, but his department is interested in assisting others in the metro area as they’re able.

“We have the resources, and we have the personnel that are good at it, and we’re gonna continue to be a part of seizing these narcotics and U.S. currency – just trying to do everything we can to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations,” Rohlfing said. “That’s our main goal.”