06/04/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/04/2026 06:40
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA - United States Attorney Matthew L. Harvey has been named as Vice Chair of the Washington-Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Executive Board, helping to lead efforts in the region to combat fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other drug trafficking across multiple states.
The Washington-Baltimore HIDTA is one of 33 HIDTA programs across the country, and supports 29 counties and 12 cities in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and West Virginia. In 2025, Washington-Baltimore HIDTA's funded task forces dismantled or disrupted 125 drug trafficking/money laundering organizations, seizing more than $84 million in drugs across the region. HIDTA also supports substance use prevention and treatment initiatives, such as ODMAPS (Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program), a free, web-based tool that provides near real-time suspected overdose surveillance data.
"Combatting drug trafficking is at the heart of my work as the U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of West Virginia," said U.S. Attorney Matthew Harvey. "With overdose numbers still high in the Mountain State, there's more work to do, and this new role will help further that mission."
Harvey joins an executive board that is responsible for assessing drug threats and determining ways to combat the threats, as well as working on initiatives to help prevent further harm to residents in the region.
"The Washington/Baltimore HIDTA is proud to welcome U.S. Attorney Matthew Harvey as Vice Chair of our Executive Board. As the chief federal law enforcement official for the Northern District of West Virginia-and a former prosecutor in both Berkeley and Kanawha Counties-Mr. Harvey brings deep experience, strong leadership, and a proven commitment to public safety. His insight and dedication will be invaluable as he helps guide the work of the Washington/Baltimore HIDTA and advance our mission in the region," said Jeff Beeson, Executive Director, Washington/Baltimore HIDTA.
The Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force and The Martinsburg Initiative - an evidence-based prevention program that focuses on aiding children in Berkeley County Schools - are both supported by HIDTA funding.