State police in Maryland arrested a suspect accused of running a months-long scheme to sell cocaine and other drugs to veterans on a Department of Veterans Affairs campus.
On Wednesday, Maryland State Police troopers arrested Asante Anderson. Anderson, 50, is believed to be the main source of the drugs being trafficked onto the Perry Point VA Medical Center campus. He was charged with multiple crimes including possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute and possession of cocaine. He is currently being held at the Cecil County Detention Center without bail.
There has been ongoing drug activity at the medical center at Perry Point, in northeastern Maryland between Baltimore and Philadelphia, for months, the police said. The police noted that they and the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General have been working together since June 2025 to deal with it. None of the people investigated as part of that investigation are veterans, but the dealers were targeted veterans to sell to.
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“During the fall of 2025, information gleaned during the investigation led to a suspect, later identified as Anderson, as the supply source for illegal drugs,” the police said in their statement.
On Tuesday evening, a joint force of state personnel, as well as a special agent from the VA, arrested Anderson at the entrance to the campus without incident. He was later charged and booked.
Anderson had apparently been living on the more than 350-acre VA campus and operating the drug distribution scheme, which included several people. A warrant to search his residence and belongings led to authorities finding several drugs including cocaine and MDMA, along with tools believed to be connected with drug dealing, including digital scales and unspecified smoking devices. Photos shared by Maryland State Police show several bags of portioned out drugs. The campus covers both primary care and specialty treatment for veterans
In its own statement, the VA’s Office of Inspector General said that it is continuing to work with Maryland State Police to investigate the case. The police said that the investigation into the drug ring is ongoing.
