By Dave Huddleston, WSB-TV November 19, 2021 at 7:22 pm EST Thirteen people were arrested Thursday and more than $1 million were seized in a major drug bust that stretched from Athens to Atlanta. One of 44 suspects arrested in sweeping drug bust in Clay County. PENSACOLA Eleven people from Fort Walton Beach, Mary Esther, Navarre and Miramar Beach were sentenced Friday to multi-year federal prison terms on drug-related charges. Melonie Holt We cannot allow these Copyright 2021 WCJB. His agents and other law enforcement officials spent a total of 12,000 man hours during the investigation and it was clear from the violence that surrounded the drug ring that the two are deeply connected. Judd said James McClain, 34, was a major distributor of methamphetamines and marijuana in the Lake Wales area. Sheriff Grady Judd is speaking to the media in regards to Operation: Bell Gang Blues, a drug trafficking investigation in Lake Wales that netted 29 suspects, and arrest warrants for three others. In court records detailing several of the arrests, Kevin Choute of Tallahassee is named as the head of the ring. There were more than 100 charges from the cases, including over 80 felonies. Learn More. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory on Friday about an increase in an antibiotic-resistant strain of the Shigella bacteria. I know my community very well, I am aware of my surroundings, I know the area the drugs were confiscated, and I know the Sheriff's Office is working hard to make change for the community, she said. Gateway family busted with cocaine & fentanyl in major drug operation, North Port man crashed through FHP homicide investigation, Motorcyclist dead after crash at Fort Myers shopping center. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. They cause crime, that crime creates additional victims. A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of various narcotics and ties to a local drug house. Nearly 2 dozen arrested in Delaware drug bust. Closed for business, Traffic stop leads to drug bust on local trap house March 2, 2023; Man arrested after scheduling meetup with minor for sex February 27, WebLAKE COUNTY, Fla. A man from Lake County could face life in prison after getting arrested on federal drug conspiracy charges, according to the U.S. Attorneys office. You can watch the full news conference below: Breaking news and weather alerts:Get the free 10 Tampa Bay app, Stay In the Know! Inside the home, they found cocaine, heroin, Oxycodone, MDMA, Tramadol, marijuana, Fentanyl, handguns and drug paraphernalia. WebA man is in jail after the largest marijuana bust in Escambia County history. VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. The Volusia County Sheriff's Office arrested 16 people on drugs charges during busts this week. Samantha Mathers is a digital reporter and content creator for Action News Jax. Ashonti Ford TV (@AshontiFordBN9) April 29, 2021 Investigators seized 1,416 pounds of crystallized and liquid meth with a street value of over $50 million. According to the sheriff's office, the group was attempting to traffic drugs with a total street value of $283,820. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil, who has championed a regional approach to curbing illegal drug activity, said law enforcement would remain relentless in pursuing people who bring harm to the community. A collaborative of law enforcement officials announced the arrests after nearly a year of work, which allegedlybrought down major players and street level dealers who operated in Leon and Gadsden counties but had connections to California, Georgia and Texas. If you have any information on local drug activity, please contact the Charlotte County Sheriffs Office at 941-639-2101 or through our mobile app. The two drugs that we were keying in on which was the crystal meth and also the fenatyl. 0:00. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. One of the top suspects was murdered during the investigation, which began in June, and his son was charged in another murder. Gabriel Cossio, Gabriel Cossio Jr., Melissa Cossio, Jesus Cossio, Aaron Pruitt, and Christopher Ramirez were all arrested on drug charges. OCALA, Fla. (WCJB) - Agents with the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team (UDEST) announced Wednesday that they have seized more than 300 marijuana plants, plus an additional 300 packaged marijuana products. Copyright 2021 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. Are dogs allowed on the beach in Gulf Shores? Major drug dealer arrested, more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana seized Aug 26, 2021 / 07:59 Tap on any of the buttons below to download our app. View all posts by Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Closed for business, Traffic stop leads to drug bust on local trap house, Man arrested after scheduling meetup with minor for sex, PC Man Arrested with Trafficking Amount of Fentanyl/Cocaine, Florida Division of Gaming Enforcement puts local casinos on notice, Deputies catch one of Charlotte Countys most wanted after foot pursuit ends in canal, 2.50 grams (in vial weight) of liquid Heroin from inside syringe, 0.1 grams (IBW) of pink/blue Fentanyl on top of center console, 8 white pills bearing the markings M8 which were identified via pill identifier as Hydromorphone Hydrochloride (schedule 2 controlled substance), One bottle cap (Contents testing positive for Fentanyl), One cigarette wrapper that previously contained Hydromorphone Hydrochloride pills, Drug Paraphernalia Possession or Use Of. Illegal drugs ruin lives, destroy families, drive up property crime, and wreck neighborhoods. Additionally, more than 10 grams of Fentanyl, 7.4 grams of Methamphetamines, Hydromorphone pills, Cannabis and several loaded syringes containing Fentanyl were discovered. Two men from South Florida are among more than 100 people who were recently arrested in connection with a Darknet drug trafficking bust. Everything you need to know about the next launch and detailed coverage on space missions. I believe that if we try hard enough we can do anything, Douglas said. WebThe drug bust was reportedly sparked by two recent homicides in the area. According to police, Starke and Lawtey Police Department officers arrested the eight individuals in various parts of the county in connection to the drug ring. Cassidy Ketchum was arrested and charged with the following: Narcotics Detectives executed a search warrant at 480 Fletcher St. in Port Charlotte where Jeanette Souza (8/23/86) and Kellie Coe (6/29/83) were taken into custody. Once she returned, the vehicle left. 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The sheriff said during the news conference that they also raided a Gateway WebA 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. Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Stephanie Bryan of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, Nevada Democrats face brewing civil war ahead of, Have a tax filing extension this year? Win Tickets to see Taylor Swift in Tampa Bay! FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingen said those arrested had 93 prior drug arrests, including some federal, 67 prior violentcrime arrests and 175 prior felony counts. 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. A cocaine/heroin/fentanyl mixture weighed in at 189.5 grams. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. Jul 23, 2021. Altogether, the suspects have 645 previous charges, including 314 prior felonies and 331 prior misdemeanors. WebPUBLISHED 7:31 PM ET May. According to police, Starke and Lawtey Police Department officers arrested the eight individuals in various parts of the county in connection to the drug ring. A man in south Florida died from a brain-eating infection last month after using tap water during sinus rinses, according to FOX 4. Ketchum was observed exiting the vehicle and entering the home. A total of 65 arrests were made in the U.S. The FBIin conjunction with the USPIS, FDA, and DEA, had been investigating a criminal enterprise that operated two Darknet vendor accounts, a news release from the DOJ read. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Despite 32 people being charged, only 29 have been arrested, according to the sheriff's office. PCSO charges 32 suspects during Operation Bell Gang Blues, a 16-month investigation of illegal drug traffickingPhoto: Polk County Sheriffs Office. The SWAT team made entry to the home after knocking and announcing who they were. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. Officials say more arrests are likely in the case. They arrested Marcus Blankenship and Steven Brown and there were three other people inside at the time. Two men from South Florida are among more than 100 people who were recently arrested in connection with a Darknet drug trafficking bust. Two people, including the father of former Florida State and NFL player Letroy Guion, were charged for selling cocaine. (Clay County Sheriff's Office), STAY UPDATED:Download the Action News Jax app for live updates on breaking stories. In this instance, eleven guns were in the hands of these felons two of which were stolen. The suspects from South Florida were identified by authorities as Luis Spencer, 31, and Olatunji Dawodu, 36, both of who are from Fort Lauderdale. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 150 people were arrested, including two people from South Florida. The operation resulted in the seizure of weapons, drugs and more than $31 million in cash and virtual currencies. WebNOW PLAYING ABOVE. Reach out for help. 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Thomas' father, Earl Thomas, 67, was also among those arrested. Investigators added that more arrests are expected. WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (WFLA) Federal and local law enforcement officials have arrested six people in connection to a drug trafficking operation with Mexican drug cartel ties, according to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. If youre struggling with addiction, you can get help Friday at Wilkinson Elementary School from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The sheriff says getting drugs off Clay Countys streets couldnt have been done without the communitys help. During the search warrant a plethora of drug paraphernalia was located including hundreds of used drug baggies and syringes. and last updated 7:21 PM, May 13, 2021 LEE COUNTY, Fla. Deputies arrested six people Wednesday in the largest drug bust to ever hit Lee County. Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. The Lee County Sheriffs Office held a news conference on the raid that happened at an auto body shop off of Evans Avenue and Oak Ridge Court on Wednesday. Drug trafficking impacts entire communities with violence and frequency of drug use, he said. They also found $4,557 in cash inside the house. Its terrifying that number of people can die at the hands of a drug dealer that wants to turn a quick profit, and for those people that are watching this press conference later on, let me say this, I know that there are addicts out there that are going to see this, and Im going to ask you to do this, reach out for help. Authorities also identified other co-conspirators and carried out search warrants for each person, which resulted in the seizure of $770,000, one weapon and about 3.5 kilograms of pressed fentanyl.

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