313 Initiative Continues to Remove Drugs from East Tennessee Streets

Posted on March 24, 2025

East Tennessee prosecutors and law enforcement officers continue to disrupt the drug pipeline from Michigan to Tennessee through the partnership of the 313 Initiative.  The 313 Initiative is a concerted and organized effort by numerous federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to identify, target, and dismantle drug trafficking organizations from the Detroit, Michigan, area who have chosen Knox and surrounding counties to distribute prolific amounts of drugs.  Law enforcement agencies are utilizing all available resources and investigative tools to identify these individuals and groups from Detroit and use both traditional detective work and 21st-century technology to stop the pipeline of illegal drugs into our community.

As a result of these investigations, partner agencies have seized significant quantities of drugs, removed hundreds of firearms from the streets, and made hundreds of arrests.  Since December 2022, 313 Initiative efforts have resulted in the following seizures and arrests:

  • Methamphetamine – 145.91 pounds
  • Fentanyl/Heroin – 83.97 pounds
  • Cocaine/Crack – 7.5 pounds
  • MDMA/Prescription Pills – Thousands of dosage units
  • Money Seized – $794,057.00
  • Guns Seized – 251
  • Initiative-Related Arrests – 453

“In Knox County alone, we believe the work of the 313 Initiative has contributed to the decrease in overdose deaths we saw from 485 deaths in 2023 to 301 deaths in 2024,” said DA Charme Allen.  “Between holding drug dealers accountable and providing more treatment opportunities for drug users, our community was able to save 184 lives last year.”  Surrounding jurisdictions have noted a sharp decrease in overdoses as well.  In 2024, the 5th Judicial District noted a 57 percent decrease in reported overdose deaths from the previous year.

The partner agencies in the 313 Initiative include the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Tennessee Department of Correction, 4th Judicial Drug Task Force, Sevier County Street Crimes, 5th Judicial Drug Task Force, Knoxville Police Department, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, 7th Judicial Crime Task Force, Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Michigan State Police, Detroit Police Department, Kentucky State Police, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee, and the District Attorney’s Offices of the 4th Judicial District Attorney General James Dunn, 5th Judicial District Attorney General Ryan Desmond, 6th Judicial District Attorney General Charme Allen, 7th Judicial District Attorney General Dave Clark, and 8th Judicial District Attorney General Jared Effler.

If you have any questions, please contact Sean McDermott at 865-215-2515 or Sean.McDermott@knoxcounty.org. For more information about the District Attorney’s Office, visit our website at dag.knoxcountytn.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.