Acting AG Matthew Whitaker visits Cincinnati

Fort Mitchell, Kentucky will serve as the northern hub for an "all government" approach to combat the region's opioid crisis, Acting US Attorney General Matthew G. Whitaker said Friday.  The Department of Justice formed Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid Strike Force (ARPO) in October to crack down on illegal opioid prescriptions.  The strike force combines investigation, prosecution and data analytics resources to combat the challenges "faced uniquely here in this regional area," Whitaker said.  ARPO is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices for nine federal districts in five states, the FBI, DEA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The southern hub will be based in Nashville. Each assistant US attorney will receive their own team of federal investigators and agents, Whitaker said. The investigators will be mobile, so if a small case turns into a large case in a non-major city, authorities will be able to prosecute the case wherever they need to.