Law enforcement across four Southwestern Pennsylvania counties is grappling with a record-shattering surge in illegal firepower, seizing 48 firearms in just the first seven weeks of 2026.
State Attorney General David Sunday revealed Monday that January alone saw 41 illegal weapons taken off the streets, which authorities believe is a historic high for the region. Part of the cache, displayed at the Bureau of Narcotics Investigation office in North Huntingdon, included altered shotguns, assault rifles and handguns frequently used by traffickers to protect their trade.
“Your neighborhoods now have fewer illegal firearms and predatory drug dealers,” Sunday said.
The seizures are inextricably linked to the illegal drug trade. In recent raids across Allegheny, Westmoreland, Fayette and Somerset counties, agents recovered:
• 63,000 doses of powder fentanyl (plus additional fentanyl pills)
• 12 pounds of cocaine
• 1 pound of crack cocaine
• More than $4,000 in suspected drug cash
“Every single one of those doses could have resulted in death,” Sunday said, emphasizing the lethal stakes of the ongoing investigations.
Officials said the most disturbing trend is the tactical shift in how these weapons are being moved. Christopher Giordano, FBI assistant special agent in charge, issued a stark warning: adults are increasingly recruiting juveniles to steal and carry firearms.
The reason is calculated: criminals know it is significantly harder for prosecutors to secure an indictment against a minor, he said.
“This is a problem of the state of Pennsylvania,” Giordano added, noting the presence of high-capacity firearms among teens has become a grim staple of the regional landscape.
While gun violence is often framed as an urban crisis, Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli warned the problem is bleeding into the suburbs and back roads.
“It happens here too, in the rural communities,” she said.
One of the largest hits occurred in Uniontown, Fayette County. A search of David Coffey’s residence reportedly yielded 14 firearms — two of them stolen — along with crack cocaine, Fayette County District Attorney Michael Aubele said. While Coffey was arrested in Maryland on drug charges, Fayette County authorities have yet to file local charges related to the massive cache of weapons found in his home.
Nine people have been arrested so far in connection with about 20 cases involving illegally possessed firearms, the Attorney General’s Office said in a statement.
Sunday said the investigations into suspected drug dealers and the arrests “could never happen without collaboration” by officers and agents doing “unbelievably dangerous work.”
“We’re bringing justice to the criminals who poison our communities,” said Robinson Township police Chief Tim Westwood.
