The Justice Department said it will award more than $12 million in grants to help state and local law enforcement agencies combat the illegal manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine, heroin and prescription opioids.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions also announced the creation of a new Drug Enforcement Administration office to crack down on illicit drug trafficking in the Appalachian region.
The White House said last week that the true cost of the opioid drug epidemic was more than $500 billion in 2015.
