OKANOGAN COUNTY, WA – The North Central Washington Narcotics Task Force (NCWNTF), a multi-agency unit combating drug trafficking and cross-border crime in Okanogan and Ferry Counties, may soon cease operations following the elimination of its primary funding source.
In an announcement Friday, Okanogan County Sheriff Paul D. Budrow warned that the task force’s future is in jeopardy after the federal Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG Byrne Grant) was discontinued for Washington state task forces. The NCWNTF previously relied on this grant as its primary operational funding.
“This sudden loss of funding places the entire task force at risk of being dismantled,” Budrow stated.
NCWNTF is comprised of a small core team—currently one detective supervisor, two detectives, and a support staff member—coordinated through contributions from local, state, and federal law enforcement. At its peak, the task force operated with up to 10 personnel and investigated major narcotics distribution networks, cross-border smuggling, human trafficking, and money laundering cases across the region.
All criminal cases developed by the task force are prosecuted through the Okanogan County Prosecutor’s Office, which maintains a strong record of convictions in narcotics and trafficking cases.
Sheriff Budrow emphasized that the absence of funding not only threatens public safety but removes a critical tool for local law enforcement in complex investigations.
Without legislative action or replacement funding at the state or federal level, the task force may be forced to shut down, leaving rural North Central Washington with limited resources to combat organized criminal operations.