East Tennessee Is In The Crosshairs Of The Drug Traffic
A key factor driving the opioid epidemic in Roane County is its location along several interstate highways known to be popular with cross-country drug traffickers. "The Appalachia region is arguably the epicenter of this crisis," say federal officials, who include many parts of East Tennessee in the so-called Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.
Fighting Drug Trafficking In Southern Appalachia
In this story, we follow Roane County sheriff's deputies through their nightly rounds in East Tennessee. Teams of officers check in on drug court participants and operate a pre-dawn drug trafficking checkpoint on the front lines of the region's opioid epidemic.
Watch the video: