In total, nearly 30 pounds of cocaine, half a pound of meth, more than a pound of brown heroin, three ounces of black tar heroin, two ounces of Fentanyl, $330,000 in cash, nine firearms and three stolen vehicles were seized by investigators. Victor Manuel Hernandez was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison for a narcotics conspiracy involving heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine. >> I WAS GETTING OUT OF THE WAY OF THE CAR. Credit: Sarasota Police Department. Nick is a High Times writer reporting on all things cannabis. Shop Our Favorite February Amazon Deals Before the Sales End, The 14 Best Mineral Sunscreens of 2023, According to Pros, 14 TikTok-Famous Cleaning Products That Actually Work, According to Our Experts, 14 Best Healthier Candy Alternatives of 2023, According to Taste Tests. Jonathan Dienst is chief justice contributor for NBC News and chief investigative reporter for WNBC-TV in New York. WSVN-TVSunbeam Television Corp 1401 79th Street Causeway Miami, FL 33141 Switchboard: (305) 751-6692 Newsroom: (305) 795-2777 Back in July 2019, law enforcement officials caught up with Victor Manuel Hernandez of Wimauma, Florida, when a "confidential source" spoke with Hernandez and ordered a kilogram of meth, according to court documents obtained by the U.S. Attorney's Office of Florida's Middle District. The shipping company MSC thanked federal authorities for making the bust. In January, Sheriff Michelle Cook, along with her leadership team,. What we're seeing, for example, just two months ago, we ceased purple fentanyl. In a tweet posted Saturday, City of Miami Police Cmdr. It says that he got a call from the chief officer to go to the deck after the vessel left Peru, at which time he saw nets on the port side (left side facing the bow) by the ship's crane. It is enough to kill 66 out of the 67 counties' population here in Florida, Moody said at the Tampa Bay Regional Operational Center alongside Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents. They were stationed at a home off Palm Creek Drive. A drug bust in Florida led to the seizure of enough fentanyl to kill at least 500,000 people, according to the Brevard County Sheriff's Office. The illegal narcotics worth. The drugs have an estimated street value of approximately $1.06 billion. VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. - A drug bust in. We have seen our seizures in Flagler County is up over 500 percent so far this year compared to all of last year, Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said. Fiery train crash in Greece kills dozens, many of them students, Ex-Georgia star Jalen Carter was racing in deadly crash, arrest warrants allege, Watch Live: Garland testifies amid ongoing special counsel investigations. Now is the time to talk to your loved ones, especially children. "MSC takes this matter very seriously and is grateful to the authorities for identifying any suspected abuse of its services," according to a company statement. The bust, containing Mexican Cartel produced fentanyl, enough to kill "every man, woman, and child in the state of Florida 11 times over." The congresswoman said. Sheriff Marceno said the operation is far from over. The court document says that Durasevic, the crew's second mate, admitted his role in bringing the cocaine on the vessel. Massive drug bust at sea worth $1.06 billion recovered in Florida Ishshah Padilla 2/18/2022 The Coast Guard conducted a drug bust that led them to 54,500 pounds of cocaine and 15,800. This is one of the largest drug seizures in United States history," U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania William McSwain tweeted. A massive drug bust has led to the largest amount of fentanyl to be taken off the streets of York County, according to the sheriff's office. He says an additional eight boats brought more cocaine as the vessel moved north between Coronel, Peru and Panama. Peter joined CBS News Digital in February 2017. Methamphetamine destroys lives, degrades communities, and ruins families. >> I BEEN TO THE BORDER TWICE, SO I SAW HOW ITS COMING IN. "Unfortunately, shipping and logistics companies are from time to time affected by trafficking problems. #BREAKING @USCG Cutter James' crew offloaded approximately 59,700lbs of cocaine and 1,430lbs of marijuana worth more than $1.4 billion, Thurs., @PortEverglades, the largest offload in #CoastGuard history.#Partnerships @Southcom @RoyalCanNavy Read more: https://t.co/8QaTcIUtv2 pic.twitter.com/O5SZWVQOOQ. We will never know the lives saved through this investigation.. "But if you are a poison peddler, and you kill someone in Flagler County, we are going to investigate you for first-degree murder, and we already have four people sitting in state prison for killing someone for selling the lethal dose, Staly said. U.S. Coast Guard boarding team members climb aboard a suspected smuggling vessel in the Eastern Pacific in September 2019. These small vessels are designed to smuggle large amounts of contraband while evading law enforcement due to their camouflage and low profile, officials said. "They're also making counterfeit pills that, they're multiple colors laced with fentanyl, so they're marketing to younger and younger people, Staly said.Now is the time to talk to your loved ones, especially children.The attorney general says cartels only care about profit and power.Staly said in Flagler, the age of overdoses range from 18 to 60. That amount of cocaine is reportedly worth an estimated $367 million. GAIL: THIS TRAFFIC STOP INVOLVING JAMES FORBES, JR. "But if you are a poison peddler, and you kill someone in Flagler County, we are going to investigate you for first-degree murder, and we already have four people sitting in state prison for killing someone for selling the lethal dose, Staly said. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. The operation is aimed toward removing street-level drugs and drug dealers. Drug trafficking impacts entire communities with violence and frequency of drug use, he said. In this article we take a look at the 18 biggest drug busts in US history. Seaman Erik Villa Rodriguez/U.S. "This amount of cocaine could kill millions MILLIONS of people. This is lawful pressure and resistance that makes our crime rate go down and the quality of life go up, said Sheriff Marceno. The Lee County Sheriff's Office held a news conference on the raid that happened at an . They said the drug bust netted approximately 16.5 tons of the narcotic from a cargo ship docked at the Packer Marine Terminal. People view the responsibilities of smokers at concerts very differently according to a Reddit thread. The Coast Guard detailed their multiple drug busts in a press release published yesterday. Growing up in the sunshine state, Bakich co-hosted the political talk radio show "Lake County Roundtable" (WLBE), and was a frequent guest for "Lake County Sports Show" (WQBQ). The release also included a number of photos and a link to a video. Luke Cla/U.S. Deaths linked to cocaine abuse have been on the rise, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Deputies said this bust was part of a year-long. Plans are underway to open a cannabis dispensary and consumption lounge in Atlantic City, only steps from the famed Boardwalk. TAMPA, Fla. A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to 27 years in prison after conspiring to distribute hundreds of grams of substances containing methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine. >> WE HAVE SEEN OUR SEIZURES IN FLAGLER COUNTY IS UP OVER 500% SO FAR THIS YEAR COMPARED TO ALL OF LAST YEAR. JUICE Florida Politics' Juicy Read 2.28.2023 Florida's War on Drugs ContinuesFentanylFrost, Scott, Wasserman SchultzMuch More Salazar, Gimenez Condemn DHS for Facility Fiasco, Cammack, Blackburn Introduce Bill to Prevent Criminals Profiting Off Border Crisis, Cammack Reiterates Republicans Won't be Cutting Social Security, Medicare, Strategic Production Act Passes Along Party Lines. We are going to go to every crevice, ever hole, every place where these individuals try to hide and we will root them out, he said. FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. -- A traffic stop involving. The arrest affidavit says that the drugs were found upon search of the vessel in seven separate shipping containers, as we have reported. South Florida police made a huge drug bust on Friday night. For example, Rear Admiral of the Colombian Navy, Jose Jauquin Amezquita Garcia said: Drug trafficking is a tragedy and a threat that is taking lives and tearing apart urban and suburban communities in the United States as well as small villages in the rural areas of Colombia., Your email address will not be published. The Lee County Sheriff's Office announced Operation Narco Navidad netted over $1.1 million, as well as kilos of cocaine and a . Most of these suspects are gang members and contributed to violent crimes, Perez said. All rights reserved. 2023 www.tallahassee.com. Lane Riverfront Park, 10 Weather: Fog reduces visibility early, more warmth and sunshine to follow, Warm winter leads to a warm spring for Tampa Bay, Warmer-than-normal temperatures on tap for Tampa Bay area heading into spring. In September, a submarine located in the Pacific Ocean was found with over 12,000 pounds of cocaine onboard, officials said. Tom Winter is a New York-based correspondent covering crime, courts, terrorism and financial fraud on the East Coast for the NBC News Investigative Unit. NOW IS THE TIME TO TALK TO YOUR LOVED ONES, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN. A major drug ring operating out of Tallahassee had connections to other states and investigators say its members, 27 of whom have been taken into custody, wereresponsible for flooding North Florida with cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and Fentanyl. Deputy First Class Jasmine. THE SITUATION CHANGED DRAMATICALLY AS FORBES TRIED TO RUN AWAY AFTER A DEPUTY FOUND A SUSPICIOUS PACKAGE DURING A PAT DOWN. Staly adds there are a lot of undercover operations in the county and you will eventually get caught. The 10-day sting was the largest eradication of illegal marijuana cultivations in the history of the department. The troubling trend began around 2012, before cocaine-related deaths jumped 34 percent from 2016 to 2017, the CDC said. Lane Riverfront Park this weekend, Calling all art lovers: 2023 Gasparilla Festival of the Arts returning to Julian B. ", Coast Guard's Karl Schultz says this massive cache of drugs is really the collective work of many. The United States Coast Guard just announced the conclusion of what appears to be a large drug bust in the Pacific Ocean. Four Americans have been convicted of drug smuggling charges so far following the arrests of nine Americans at Heathrow Airport in January. What we're seeing, for example, just two months ago, we ceased purple fentanyl. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WESH-TV. The U.S. Coast Guard has seized over 18,000 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $312 million in a series of drug busts in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Copyright 2023 Waterman Broadcasting of Florida, LLC, Operation curbside crackdown leads to massive narcotics & gun bust at NFM drug house, Boat dumped on side of road in Lehigh Acres, Homeless man breaks up Bonita Springs drunken brawl by firing a warning shot, Sunseeker Resort has thousands of rooms booked for fall season despite hurricane setbacks, Iconic Fort Myers Beach breakfast spot vows to rebuild, Eli Lilly to cut insulin prices, cap costs at $35 for many people with diabetes, Teen to be tried as adult following fatal DeSoto County Fair shooting, DNA found on a sweet potato helps Massachusetts police solve 12-year-old cold case murder. August 6, 2021 / 7:49 AM Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Firefighters in New Mexico would be free to spark up under a bill introduced by lawmakers in the state. M. Abreu confirmed officers confiscated a large number of drugs from a suspected dealer. Adult-use cannabis sales in Virginia wont begin before Jan. 1, 2024 as originally planned. He allegedly had multiple "stash houses" in town that were raided by police who discovered drugs, cash and guns. Federal authorities seized 15,000 kilos of cocaine, worth as much as $1 billion, at a Philadelphia shipping port, officials said Tuesday. The street value of all the seized cocaine could be as high as $1 billion, according to federal prosecutors in Philadelphia. Authorities from other countries also spoke to the U.S. media about the busts. Florida AG announces prosecution of Mexican fentanyl gang Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) on the massive fentanyl bust of traffickers tied to Mexican mafia. A second mate and a crew member have been arrested in the massive bust. Required fields are marked *. "Every bale of cocaine on this flight deck that doesn't make it to our shores represents lives saved in New York City, Philly, Chicago, Los Angeles or any town in the U.S. that's dealing with pandemic levels of drug overdoses this year," Captain Todd Vance, a commanding officer on the Cutter James, said at a Thursday press conference. This is just the latest in a series of large drug busts by the Coast Guard. Tampa Bay News, Traffic and Weather wherever you are with NewsRadio WFLA and WFLA News. / CBS News. They were also perpetrators of violence, Perez said. Police in South Florida made a huge drug bust on Friday night. Law enforcement agents said they also found more than $400,000 in cash. More to come. He continued: The James crew conducted counter-drug operations with the cooperative efforts with regional partner nations, like Colombia, Costa Rica and alongside the agencies involved in Operation Martillo to stop the flow of illegal narcotics into the United States. Operation curbside crackdown resulted in a total of 50 arrests, with more pending, said Sheriff Carmine Marceno. He is a former News and Homepage Editor who has covered everything from breaking news to Sunday night award shows. A second mate and a crew member have been arrested in the. The release also included a number of photos and a link to a video. These drugs will not reach Main Street USA due to the efforts of [] Coast Guard cutters involved in these interdictions, said Captain Jeffrey Randall, commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter James, which was heavily involved in the drug busts. Staly adds there are a lot of undercover operations in the county and you will eventually get caught. BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford held a news conference about a large drug bust. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Durasevic later allegedly told agents that he was paid $50,000 for his role in the scheme. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at his house and agents found 31 kilograms of meth, 756 grams of cocaine and about 523 grams of heroin. He said much of the violent activity connected to the drug ring happened in the rural county west of Tallahassee. Tampa Bay News, Traffic and Weather wherever you are with NewsRadio WFLA and WFLA News. Melonie Holt "We cannot allow these drugs and the criminals who peddle them to poison our communities and destroy lives," DeSantis said in a statement Wednesday. In addition to the drugs, police seized an unspecified amount of cash. Currently, he is the co-host of "Tomahawk Talk" (WVFS), a sports talk radio program covering Florida State athletics in Tallahassee. On Wednesday, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody announced the arrest of a massive violent gang operation in Florida linked to a Mexican drug cartel.Agents seized 48 pounds of fentanyl and more . Valspar Final Round Championship Passes, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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