The leader of a south Georgia drug task force says it will disband by the end of this year due to a lack of funding.

South Georgia Drug Task Force Cmdr. Bahan Rich said the unit will end on or by Dec. 31.

Rich said the unit's federal funding was cut by 55 percent.

He said the unit isn't dropping any of its current cases, and will have time to complete its investigations before Dec. 31 and forward information to prosecutors.

The task force was composed of officers from the Cook County Sheriff's Office, Adel Police Department, Lenox Police Department, Berrien County Sheriff's Department, Echols County Sheriff's Office, Lanier County Sheriff's Office, Clinch County Sheriff's Office, Homerville Police Department and several other regional agencies.

Tags: federal budget cuts, illegal drugs, drug task force, South Georgia Drug Task Force