U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently announced that the Department of Justice would dispatch 12 federal prosecutors to cities that have had the greatest problems with drug addiction and opioids. Maryland was listed as one of those states. Prescription opioids are at the root of the deadliest drug epidemic in American history. In 2015, more than 52,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses. Sessions has made aggressively prosecuting drug crimes a priority during his tenure in the AG’s office so far, stating the sheer number of deadly overdoses has made it necessary to get tough on drug abuse. There were 351 people in Maryland alone who were killed by prescription opioid overdoses in 2015. Increased enforcement As a city, Baltimore has long struggled with drug crime and addiction. State officials have been looking at ways to help heal the city and the surrounding communities from the opioid crisis that has afflicted the nation. Sessions’ strategies have not gone without criticism. Many believe the sudden increase in prosecution could be a step backward, as many failed policies in the drug war had the effect of filling prisons with nonviolent offenders and minorities rather than helping people fight addiction. Regardless, Maryland is one of the states in which the federal government is set to pay specific attention to drug crime enforcement. The appointment of a special drug prosecutor is a sign that drug offenders are likely to face stricter penalties upon conviction. For more information and guidance on your rights if you’ve been arrested for a drug crime in Maryland, consult an experienced La Plata criminal defense lawyer with Mudd, Mudd & Fitzgerald, P.A.