The Drug Enforcement Administration announced arrests Thursday as part of a three-state investigation it dubbed “Operation Hypocritical Oath.”

Arrests were made in California and Hawaii and arrests may be coming in Nevada soon.

The investigation focused on medical professionals who are believed to have illegally prescribed and dispensed pharmaceutical drugs in the three states.

The Los Angeles Times reported that prosecutors filed charges against nine people in Southern California, including four doctors. Another couple of dozen person identified as street and wholesale-level drug dealers were also arrested.

In Hawaii, seven medical professionals were arrested for their parts in prescribing oxycodone and hydrocodone.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser quoted John Callery, assistant special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Honolulu field office, who said that more arrests of Hawaii doctors, nurses and physician’s assistants are likely in the weeks ahead.

Daniel Neil, assistant special agent in charge for the DEA in Las Vegas, indicated that arrests are expected in the future—although none had happened as of Thursday.

investigation, dubbed “Operation Hypocritical Oath,” focused on medical professionals such as doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants who illegally prescribed and dispensed pharmaceutical drugs in Nevada, Southern California and Hawaii.

At least two sites were searched in Reno as part of the effort, but no arrests were made as of Thursday, according to Daniel Neill, assistant special agent in charge for the DEA in Las Vegas.

“It’s epic because you’ve got three different states working together at the same time to make sure those that are operating outside their scope are brought to justice or investigated,” Neill said in a phone interview following a news conference in Las Vegas. “This has never been done involving these three states.”

The quote is courtesy of the Reno Gazette.

Federal drug agents have been working for the last year on the investigation which started in California and resulted in the actions taken in Hawaii and Nevada this week.

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