PORTSMOUTH, Va. — A joint investigation by the DEA, Suffolk Police, and Customs and Border Protection resulted in the seizure of 159 kilograms of cocaine worth about $6 million, bringing relief to a local mother who lost her son to a fatal overdose.
For Elizabeth Ripley, the dangers of street drugs are personal. In 2021, her son, Michael Warren, took a pill he believed was Xanax, but it was laced with fentanyl. He died six days before his 22nd birthday.
"I’m glad they got whoever this was and they seized this incredible amount of cocaine and got it off the streets because...they saved some lives," Ripley said.
Ripley said when she learned about the recent drug bust in Suffolk, the online response seemed to make a joke of the seizure. However, she said it serves as a reminder that behind every seizure, real lives are on the line.
"After losing my first born child, my only son, I cant handle it," Ripley said.
In a press release, Keri Brady, Customs and Border Protection's area port director in Norfolk, addressed the impact of the $6 million seizure.
"Should put drug trafficking organizations on notice… Hampton Roads is now a more difficult place for them to peddle their poison," Brady said.
Ripley hopes the bust reminds people that taking dangerous drugs off the streets is critical for the community.
"There's always something else you can do to try and make money there's foodbanks you can go to, there's just a lot of things you can do rather than selling drugs," Ripley said.
Click here to see how we use AI at WTKR News 3.
