Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division announced on Thursday, October 25, 2018, the formation of the Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid Strike Force. This joint law enforcement effort that brings together the resources and expertise of the Health Care Fraud Unit, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for nine federal districts in five states, as well as law enforcement partners at the FBI, DEA, and Office of the Inspector General. The mission of the ARPO Strike Force is to identify and investigate health care fraud schemes and effectively and efficiently prosecute illegal prescription and distribution of opioids. Robert Duncan Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, said the creation of the strike force is consistent with the Department’s commitment to combat the opioid crisis with all available tools.