25 Arrested In Kansas City Drug, Firearms Investigation: DOJ

KANSAS CITY, MO — A drugs and firearms investigation by local, state and federal authorities resulted in the arrest of 25 Kansas City area residents Tuesday and Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday.

Law enforcement arrested four people Tuesday and another 21 on Wednesday in connection with the investigation, according to authorities. A total of 26 suspects were charged in an 86-count federal indictment on March 1, court documents show.

The indictment accuses all 26 defendants of participating in a conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, cocaine, fentanyl and marijuana in Jackson County beginning in January 2019.

"This operation removed a large number of armed and dangerous drug dealers from the streets of our community," said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. "After a nearly year-long investigation, our law enforcement partners worked together to take down a significant drug-trafficking organization and reduce the threat of violent crime in our neighborhoods."

During the operation, officers seized 27 firearms, 1,877 rounds of ammunition, more than 11.1 kilograms of marijuana, 300.9 grams of cocaine, 278.9 grams of other illegal drugs, and $34,439 in cash.

Prosecutors accused Kevin Cokes, 60, of being the main supplier of the drug ring and also cited Kansas City shootings in 2019 and 2021 as incidents related to the organization's drug trafficking operations in a motion for a detention hearing filed Wednesday.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives began investigating the organization in April 2019. More than 200 law enforcement officers from ATF, Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Independence, Mo., Police Department were involved in the investigation, authorities said.