Lake County’s Special Investigations Group seized a record $24 million worth of drugs and 130 illegally possessed firearms while arresting 80 suspects in 2024, authorities said.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Group (SIG) is a High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) funded task force.
The SIG is the only HIDTA-funded initiative in Lake County, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli.
Covelli said the funding allows the group to put substantial resources toward drug trafficking organizations, money laundering organizations and criminal enterprises.
The SIG opened 156 criminal cases, arrested 80 suspects and seized more than $24 million worth of illegal drugs in Lake County in 2024.
They also seized 130 illegally possessed firearms and 58 machine gun conversion devices, many of which were possessed by convicted felons, Covelli said.
The seizures included over 173 pounds of methamphetamine, over 34 pounds of powder cocaine, over two pounds of heroin and over 100 pounds of illegally trafficked cannabis.
Most of the drug seizures took place in Lake County, while some occurred in surrounding collar counties in anticipation that the drugs would be distributed in Lake County, Covelli said.
The SIG is a partner with the Lake County Coalition Against Human Trafficking and the group rescued 11 human trafficking victims and conducted multiple presentations throughout Lake County in 2024 on the warning signs of human trafficking.
Members of SIG conducted a number of presentations to school educators, students, community organizations and neighborhood groups to keep the community closely informed of human trafficking and drug trends, Covelli said.
“The work done by SIG in 2024 is nothing short of extraordinary,” Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg said.
“These results represent safer communities, disrupted criminal enterprises, and lives saved. I am so proud of the partnerships we have with both our federal and local law enforcement partners. These relationships truly make our community safer, and I could not be any prouder of the work done by those assigned to SIG,” Idleburg said.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), and Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) participate in the SIG.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Highland Park Police Department, Park City Police Department, Round Lake Police Department, Round Lake Beach Police Department, Round Lake Park Police Department, Wauconda Police Department, Waukegan Police Department, Winthrop Harbor Police Department and Zion Police Department are also part of the group.