Joshua Hester Arrested in Birmingham Drug Bust

0:00On this March 21st in Birmingham, here's what is making headlines. Police in the Birmingham area wrapped up a months-long drug investigation with the arrest of Joshua Hester on March 4th. They raided his home on Sunrise Circle and found fentanyl, marijuana, body armor, stolen guns, and parts to turn pistols into machine guns. He's now locked up in Jefferson County, jail on a $4.11 million bond facing charges like drug trafficking and illegal weapons. Possession. Several agencies teamed up for the search, including leads, police special investigators, SWAT teams from leads in Irondale and Jefferson County, support. They seized the ghost gun, two stolen firearms, and other illegal items that raised red flags right away. Hester has a long rap sheet, including a 2015 attempted murder charge where he shot at a police car, and a 2023 bust for assaults in heroin trafficking. He was already wanted for an attempted murder in Birmingham and had a felony warrant in Shelby County.

1:02Ballistics tests linked his weapons to shell casings from 2024 homicides and shootings around Birmingham. The ATF jumped in to pursue federal charges, and police hope this evidence cracks those unsolved cases. This bust shows how local teamwork can pull violent offenders off the streets and cut down on drugs and gun crime in the region.