We Fight Monsters back in the news combatting human trafficking with Memphis Safe Task Force

West Tennessee task force cracks down on violent crime and drug trafficking

Since October 2024, the West Tennessee Violent Crime and Drug Task Force has made 126 arrests, resulting in more than 100 felony charges.

Author: Desmond Nugent

Published: 9:36 PM CDT October 27, 2025

Updated: 9:36 PM CDT October 27, 2025

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Officials with the West Tennessee Violent Crime and Drug Task Force said that its work is paying off in its efforts to meet its goal of cracking down on violent crime and drug trafficking across the region with hundreds of investigations, dozens of arrests and major drug seizures.

Johnie Carter, director of the task force, told ABC24 that the team’s efforts may be quiet, but they are vital to keeping communities safe.

"We're not out there making traffic stops. We're not out there being on the news every single day, but we are working a lot behind the scenes," Carter said. "Sometimes it takes days up to years to be able to get a drug dealer, depending on their level and just how the investigation goes."

Since October 2024, the task force has initiated 245 investigations, resulting in 126 arrests and more than 100 felony charges. Carter said the task force has seized 115 weapons, nearly 2,000 pounds of marijuana, and over 6,000 prescription pills, with all illegal drugs valued at nearly $367,000.

Its success has drawn praise from local prosecutors, including Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy; Dyer and Lake County District Attorney Danny Goodman; and Haywood, Gibson, and Crockett County District Attorney Frederick Agee.

Carter credits strong partnerships with law enforcement agencies and state support for helping make these arrests possible. He told ABC24 that funding is key, noting that Governor Bill Lee is expected to increase grant resources to $750,000. Carter said that money will allow the task force to hire more agents and expand its operations.

As the task force celebrates major successes in removing guns and drugs from the streets, one Memphis-based nonprofit is tackling another side of the crisis, helping those caught in the cycle of addiction and trafficking find a way out.

We Fight Monsters, a nonprofit co-founded by Ben Owen, focuses on human trafficking and addiction recovery. He said the organization works to turn former trafficking locations into recovery homes and help survivors rebuild their lives.

"In the last three years, we've been able to shut down four fentanyl operations and one human trafficking operation," Owen said.

Owen said that through state funding and partnerships with law enforcement, the task force’s efforts now extend beyond arrests to recovery. He believes programs like these are changing lives and communities one person at a time.

"We're reducing recidivism. We're reducing the taxpayer burden, right, and we're fixing human beings," Owen said. "That's what we're all supposed to do, right, is love our neighbor."

Together, the West Tennessee Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and We Fight Monsters are taking a two-pronged approach to cracking down on crime while offering a path toward recovery and redemption.