Columbia River Drug Task Force to remain active after local funding agreement

WENATCHEE — The Columbia River Drug Task Force will continue operating after local governments agreed this week to temporarily back the regional narcotics unit with opioid settlement funding.

The Chelan County Board of Commissioners approved funding support in partnership with the cities of Wenatchee and East Wenatchee, along with Douglas County, according to a release issued May 20 by the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office. The agencies agreed to use opioid abatement dollars to help maintain task force operations after the loss of longstanding state-administered grant funding.

The money comes from nationwide legal settlements involving opioid manufacturers and distributors, with funds allocated to local governments for substance abuse prevention, treatment and related public health efforts.

Officials said the funding gap emerged after the Washington State Department of Commerce discontinued Byrne-JAG grant support for drug task forces across the state in 2024, shifting those resources toward non-law-enforcement programs. The Columbia River Drug Task Force had relied on that funding source for years.

The multi-agency task force focuses on narcotics investigations and drug trafficking enforcement throughout Chelan and Douglas counties. According to the release, the unit arrested 88 people in 2025, including 25 identified gang members. Investigators also seized methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl pills and fentanyl powder during the year, along with more than $112,000 in cash, six vehicles and six firearms while serving 50 search warrants.

Sheriff Mike Morrison and the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office said they were grateful local governments chose to continue supporting the task force and called on the state to restore dedicated funding for regional drug enforcement efforts.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media