ROANOKE, Va. — A coordinated federal drug operation led by the Virginia State Police Star City Drug and Violent Crime Task Force (HIDTA) resulted in the seizure of 10 kilograms of illicit drugs and the arrest of two men on February 11, 2025.
The task force, working alongside the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Roanoke Police Department, executed federal search warrants at two Roanoke residences — one on Yorktown Place SW and another on Massachusetts Avenue NW. The raid was timed with the arrival of a suspected narcotics courier from California, observed delivering two duffle bags to the home of Wendell Antonio Johnson, 53.
Inside, officers found:
Approximately 8 kilograms of suspected cocaine
Approximately 2 kilograms of suspected fentanyl
Both substances are considered highly lethal and are directly tied to the surge in overdose deaths across the country.
Two Roanoke men were arrested:
Wendell Antonio Johnson, a former federal inmate released in 2020, was charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 grams or more of Cocaine
John Bauer Glass, 55, also faces the same federal charge
Both suspects are being held without bond at the Roanoke Adult Detention Center under a federal detainer. Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office may pursue additional charges as the investigation progresses.
The Star City Drug and Violent Crime Task Force includes officers from the Virginia State Police, Roanoke, Salem, Roanoke County, and Vinton Police Departments, and is committed to dismantling major drug trafficking networks in the region.
Authorities praised the success of the operation and reinforced their mission to keep dangerous drugs off the streets and protect local communities from violent crime and addiction.
