RUSSELLVILLE – Hours before the sun rose today, law enforcement officials were already out banging on doors, taking people charged with various drug trafficking charges into custody.

By 7 a.m., the roundup organized by the South Central Kentucky Drug Task Force had already found 10 of its 41 targets in Butler, Logan and Simpson counties, said Jim Devasher, director of the task force. All law enforcement agencies within the three counties, along with Kentucky State Police and the U.S Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, participated.

Just before 9 a.m., there had been 16 arrested, he said.

&#8220It’s been a good start to the day,” Devasher said.

Shortly after 5 a.m., the various departments were divided into three teams and each given a packet of names, warrants and charges. Each of the teams had an agent from the task force. The warrants included both state and federal charges.

Devasher stayed back at the task force offices marking each name off the list as they were taken into custody.

Immediately after being sent out, the teams of three began knocking on doors. One team came across Demarious Yancy of Russellville, who was wanted on various trafficking charges. The team members knocked on several doors in the area of Yancy’s home and had another warrant for one of his neighbors.

After they knocked on Yancy’s door, police said they found four small bags of marijuana, along with scales and about $300.

The participation of all the various law enforcement agencies in three counties made it easier to coordinate what could have been a difficult task, Devasher said. The three-county area covers hundreds of square miles.

&#8220We had a total of 26 officers participating, so it wasn’t too difficult,” he said.

In the past, the task force had gotten indictments on their cases and then tried to pick up their targets as they could, Devasher said. Operating that way led to other agencies picking up a suspect and the various agencies not knowing what the others were doing, causing a mess.

&#8220We decided to do roundups like most other drug task forces to avoid that problem,” he said.

The suspects were wanted on trafficking anything from crack cocaine to morphine. Those sought were the result of six months of investigation, according to a task force report.

Such efforts are part of the nature of drug investigations, Devasher said. There will be a number of different cases ongoing at one time. The key is to keep these efforts quiet so drug dealers don’t find out about them.

&#8220This is just a regular part of us doing business,” he said. &#8220If you deal drugs, you’re going to get caught. It may not happen this time or next time but it will happen.”

Others sought in the roundup are Hayward House, Darrell Felty, James Deweese, Ray Renfro, Jerry Anderson, Kim Ryan, Kenneth Brooks, Jeffrey Williams, Barry Joiner, Jerry Henderson, Shawn Burden, April Lacefield, Barbara Whitehead, Shirley &#8220Junior” Stewart, Ruth Ann Phelps and Susan Embry, all of Butler County.

The Logan County names include Ventrail Hines, Kevin BellWayne Green, Donald Keith Jr., Jonathan Anderson, Jerry Robertson, Helen Bailey, Joseph Posey, Darvis Nichols, Kelvin Evans, Brandon Duncan, Ricky Young, William Quewayne Duncan, Gequilla Kennedy, Craig Stovall, Stephanie Mason, Donald &#8220Bubba” Taylor, James Grady, Frankie Spalding, Casey Sellers, Kennard Covington, James Odel Leavell and Linda Bowers.

There were only two being sought in Simpson County – Raymond Lucas and Carlos Washington.