INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Gov. Mike Braun on Tuesday told News 8 tougher enforcement in Indiana and at the U.S.-Mexico border saved lives last year.

The Indiana State Police said state troopers seized 1,574 pounds of cocaine last year, including 1,100 pounds taken from a U-Haul truck. They also seized 88 pounds of fentanyl powder, nearly 73 pounds of heroin and 191,000 fentanyl pills.

State police said those are records as far as they know. For comparison, state police seized 919 pounds of cocaine, 73 pounds of fentanyl powder and 20 pounds of heroin in 2024.

In an interview with News 8, Braun said state police have changed some of their techniques, including how they approach commercial vehicle enforcement.

“You see the semis get pulled over, that’s generally for a safety check, maybe a taillight being out. Well, they’re going to the next step just to make sure nothing else is amiss,” he said.

Braun credits those enforcement efforts, along with supply disruptions due to the Trump administration’s tougher border policies, with a drop in drug overdose deaths. The state health department’s drug overdose dashboard shows 562 overdose deaths in the first half of 2025 compared to 869 during the same period in 2024, a drop of roughly 35%. The department’s data for 2025 and 2024 is preliminary and is current only through August 5 of last year.

Substance abuse treatment advocates said tougher enforcement and better access to treatment both play a role in reducing overdose deaths. Overdose Lifeline founder Justin Phillips said fentanyl is now present in virtually every illicit drug, so access to the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone is a must. She said the biggest obstacle people battling addiction in Indiana face is being able to navigate the treatment options that are available to them. Phillips said Indiana 211 is an excellent resource.

“Parents and caregivers and people who love someone with substance use disorder need tools to understand how to still navigate those resources and know what questions to ask and how to get their own recovery, because the whole family suffers, not just the individual,” she said.

Phillips said overdose deaths spike in the immediate aftermath of large-scale drug busts because users are unable to work with their usual dealers and turn to new dealers who might sell even more adulterated substances. In Marion County, Overdose Lifeline and the Marion County Health Department run a text alert system called CHARIOT that can alert users to bad batches and large-scale seizures, as well as connect them with naloxone and treatment services.

Braun said he plans to ask for increased funding for substance abuse and mental health programs when lawmakers begin their next budget session in 2027. He said the December revenue forecast indicates the state will have more money to work with than state economists feared during the final days of budget negotiations last year.

“When you are doing things that are working so well, you continue doing it,” he said. “And as we gather information in terms of new things to do, looking at what other states might do, we’ll do all of that. But when you go from over 1,600 overdoses (in 2024) to 562 (in the first half of 2025), that’s an Allelujah moment.”

Users can sign up for CHARIOT by texting that word to 833-274-7039.

Without a first round selection, when is the Indianapolis Colts’ first pick in the 2026 NFL draft?

Looking ahead to the 2026 NFL draft, what selections do the Indianapolis Colts have this year?

With a record of 8-9, the Colts finished the 2025 season with the 16th-best record. However, they won’t be picking at 16th overall in the first round.

In order to acquire cornerback Sauce Gardner from the Jets, the Colts traded away their 2026 and 2027 first-round draft picks to New York.

So the first time that the Colts will be on the clock come April is in Round 2 and with the 47th overall pick, according to Tankathon.

In total, the Colts currently have five draft picks in 2026. Along with trading away their first-rounder, GM Chris Ballard also traded the Colts’ sixth-round draft pick as part of the trade that brought Mekhi Blackmon over from Minnesota.

• Round 2, pick 47
• Round 3, pick 78
• Round 4, pick 113
• Round 5, pick 154
• Round 7, pick 230

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana General Assembly returned to session Monday, and one bill filed by an Indianapolis Republican aims to address crime in downtown Indianapolis. The bill would allow for the state to step in to address violent crime in the downtown area.

“We have had people from Sweden who were killed that were in the military,” State Sen. Mike Young, R-Indianapolis, said. “We’ve had hotels shot up from outside. People killed on the street, especially on the canal. It’s a beautiful place, but people are scared.”

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Indiana lawmaker proposes state takeover of public safety downtown

Young filed Senate Bill 145, which would give the governor authority to provide adequate law enforcement services within downtown starting in 2027. Young said he would first try to negotiate with the mayor, but if no agreement is reached, Indiana State Police would assume all law enforcement services within the district. The district would include the Mile Square, Victory Field, Lucas Oil Stadium, Military Park, American Legion Mall, the U.S.S. Indianapolis National Memorial and related facilities such as parking lots.

“Now we are not doing this as a state on the taxpayers’ dime. Since the city won’t be paying as much, they have law enforcement duties. We are going to use some of the tax dollars that the state would send to Indianapolis, and we will hold those back for the cost we have. And hopefully it will be even cheaper,” Young said.

The bill would also allow the governor to appoint a special prosecutor for crimes committed downtown, taking that authority from the Marion County prosecutor.

WRTV reached out to several downtown organizations, the city and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

The Downtown Indy Alliance was unavailable for an interview but provided a statement:

The mayor’s office also issued a statement:

WRTV/ Otis Jones

IMPD said they will follow the legislation closely and continue to operate as usual. Young said the proposal reflects what constituents want.

“They want to be safe when they come to our capital city and downtown,” Young said.

The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office did not respond before our deadline. The bill has been assigned to the Senate Committee on Courts and Criminal Law, where it awaits a hearing.
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