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Twenty-four people have been indicted by a Salt Lake City federal grand jury with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine following an investigation that netted 17 firearms and 41 pounds of methamphetmine, officials announced Friday.

John Huber, U.S. Attorney for Utah, said at a news conference that the case will have a "palpable positive impact on crime along the Wasatch Front," according to KUTV 2News

"These pounds and pounds were destined for right here," Huber said. "There's more out there, but this is a big one."

DEA District Agent in Charge Brian Besser said, "Drugs and gangs go hand in hand, and one facilitates the other ... Drug traffickers always hammer out there disputes on our streets through violence. Families are often caught in the crossfire."

Prior to the return of the indictment, two complaints were filed leading to the arrest of 18 of the defendants.

The first complaint involves an extensive investigation by the FBI's Safe Streets Task Force, where agents acquired evidence of a large-scale meth distribution organization in Salt Lake County, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Agents also learned the distributors had a source of supply in California, and that they were expecting a large delivery of meth over the weekend of May 12-13.

The second complaint involves undercover narcotics purchases by the DEA and local law enforcement agencies, which involving about 4 1⁄4 pounds of meth from several individuals in and around Salt Lake City, the new release says.

The DEA agents subsequently learned that the individuals they were investigating were being supplied by the same California narcotics source as those involved in the FBI investigation.

At that point, the two separate efforts were merged into one large-scale conspiracy investigation conducted by both the FBI and the DEA, along with local law enforcement, the news release says.

From May 12 to 15, agents and law enforcement officers executed a number of federal search warrants resulting in the seizure of 38 pounds of meth and 17 firearms.

Salt Lake City police Chief Mike Brown said the people arrested were operating along south end of State Street in Salt Lake City.

Despite the indictment and arrests, Brown said others will try and fill that niche.

"Sadly, the void always seems to be filled," Brown told 2News.