BARBOURSVILLE, WV – A coordinated drug investigation in the Tri-State has led authorities to a stash house in Barboursville where they say more than $1.5 million worth of narcotics was seized. Officials said the case began in July and has remained active as investigators continue to follow leads.
The operation has already uncovered more than 15 pounds of cocaine and more than 12 pounds of fentanyl, according to a news release from the city of Huntington. Law enforcement says the property was believed to be connected to a Mexican cartel, though officials have not publicly laid out every piece of evidence behind that assessment.
July operation led investigators to the Barboursville house
Authorities say the investigation started months ago and gradually pointed them toward the Barboursville location. While officials have not publicly detailed each investigative step, they said the July launch of the case was the beginning of a broader regional effort that crossed county and state lines.
Investigators described the house as a stash site, meaning a place used to store illegal drugs rather than simply a location where a single arrest was made. The case remains active, and officials say the seizure is part of a larger effort to disrupt trafficking in the region. Additional information has not yet been released.
Cocaine and fentanyl make up the bulk of the seizure
The numbers released by authorities show the scale of the bust. More than 15 pounds of cocaine were recovered, along with more than 12 pounds of fentanyl. Officials said those quantities pushed the total value of the narcotics above $1.5 million.
Fentanyl has become one of the most dangerous drugs in law enforcement investigations because of its extreme potency. Cocaine also remains a major trafficking target. In this case, officials did not say whether any weapons, cash, or additional drugs were found, and they have not released a complete inventory of what was taken from the house.
Regional law enforcement agencies worked the case together
The operation drew support from several agencies across West Virginia and Ohio. Those credited included the Drug Enforcement Agency, West Virginia State Police, Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, and the Scioto County Prosecutor’s Office.
Officials did not spell out each agency’s role, but the list shows the case was not handled by one department alone. Cross-jurisdiction investigations often require coordination because suspected trafficking networks can move drugs, money, and people across county and state boundaries. In this case, authorities said that cooperation was central to reaching the stash house and moving the case forward.
Federal prosecutors in Charleston will handle the case
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia has been assigned to prosecute charges tied to the investigation. That step signals the case has moved into the federal system, where drug trafficking cases can carry significant penalties depending on the charges filed.
Officials have not announced a full list of defendants or charges in connection with the seizure. The case remains under investigation, and authorities said more information will be released later. For now, the federal prosecution assignment shows investigators expect the matter to continue beyond the initial drug recovery.
Barboursville police say they will not tolerate illegal drugs
Barboursville Police Chief Greg Lucas said the department takes illegal drugs in the community seriously and will not accept people bringing dangerous substances into the city. In his statement, he credited the result to strong cooperation among law enforcement agencies and said he appreciated the work of everyone involved.
Lucas also framed the investigation as a public safety issue, saying narcotics place residents at risk. Local police did not announce whether any arrests were made in the statement, and officials have not yet provided the full timeline of enforcement action. The investigation remains open, with more details expected later.
Why officials are treating the seizure as part of a larger trafficking network
Authorities have pointed to the suspected cartel connection as one reason the case is being handled with broad regional coordination. They have not publicly named the organization, but the description suggests investigators believe the stash house may have been one part of a wider supply chain rather than a local operation alone.
The size of the seizure and the mix of narcotics indicate why drug cases like this draw intense attention from multiple agencies. Officials have said only that the operation is ongoing and that further information will be released at a later time. Until then, the known facts point to a major regional narcotics case centered in Barboursville.
