It was a swirl of activity at the Richard Russell Federal Building in Atlanta late Friday afternoon, as a large group of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies announced the results of two coordinated multi-million dollar drug seizures made in the metro area during the last week.

U.S. Attorney David Nahmias announced the results of the effort, reporting the seizure of $8-10 million in cash, 111 kilograms of cocaine, 17 pounds of methamphetamine and 32 firearms, including handguns and assault rifles. In addition, 42 defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury Dec. 4 and another 25 were charged by criminal complaints on Dec. 6 and 7, according to Nahmias.

With metro Atlanta long recognized as the major hub for drugs in the eastern U.S., those drugs would have been sold across the metro area and throughout the eastern United States.

Nearly three-dozen strong, representatives of the many federal, state and local law enforcement agencies were in attendance.

One of those near the podium was Fayette County Sheriff’s Drug Task Force (DTF) Capt. Mike Pruitt.

For Pruitt, the occasion was another reminder of the reality that drugs originating in Mexico more than 2,000 miles away have a direct connection to the smaller communities, like Fayette County, that lie beyond the shadow of the Gold Dome.

“This is what we’ve been talking about. You can’t fight the drug problem in this country by sitting back and chasing street dealers on every corner selling street dope. There’s a supply and demand that is coming in from outside the country, coming in here,” Pruitt said.

“If you don’t cut the head off the snake, you’re not going to stop the flow. So that’s the whole purpose for being involved in the strike force that the sheriff got us involved with, because the strike force targets the Mexican cartels that are setting up cells in the metro Atlanta area and distributing their drugs here. And Fayette County is a part of the metro Atlanta area. So if you think the drugs that are coming in here aren’t coming to places like Fayette and Coweta and Clayton, then you’re living with your head in the sand.”