Heroin deaths come to a halt in Manatee County

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) – Heroin overdose deaths have come to a halt in Manatee County, and local law enforcement say the arrests of 15 people as part of an 18-month-long investigation is a big reason why.

The Bradenton Herald reports the suspects are facing various drug-related charges, including trafficking heroin, after the investigation that was sparked by a spike in heroin overdoses and deaths that had reached epidemic proportions.

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Friday morning disclosed details of an investigation that started in September 2014 as heroin began ravaging the community.

The sheriff’s office and Bradenton police investigated 77 heroin deaths in 2015 but so far this year have investigated none, which officials attributed to the operation and other major arrests that have been made.