Major Drug Seizures & Arrests in Polk County and Central Florida

 

                                    (photo: Ledger Sara-Megan Walsh)

Several area law enforcement agencies gathered today to discuss major arrests and hundreds of pounds of drugs they were able to get off the streets and away from kids. 

In Orlando, a news conference was held to announce that a years' long federal investigation has led to an arrest and confiscation of more than one-hundred pounds of dangerous drugs. FDLE announced that the drug trafficking operation was being run out of homes in two Central Florida neighborhoods. At the news conference, the Office of the U.S. Attorney Middle District of Florida announced the arrest of a 35-year-old man from Orlando who faces charges of possession with intent to distribute a large quantity of drugs. Investigators found 150 lbs. of methamphetamine, the largest ever seized in Orlando, plus several kilograms of other drugs including cocaine, fentanyl, and more than 100,000 pressed pills. Agents also seized several firearms and over $700,000 in drug proceeds.

Here in Polk County, a similar press conference was held this morning to announce the agency's largest-ever seizure of 14 kilograms of fentanyl worth $3.5 million and 4 arrests by the Polk County Sheriff's Office during the investigation of a Mexican drug trafficking organization that had been operating in several states.

Sheriff Grady Judd announced, "Fentanyl is an enormous threat to Americans today. In addition to tens of thousands who are killed by fentanyl-related drug overdoses each year, there is also great damage done to families and communities. I am confident that with the arrests and seizures made during this investigation, many lives have been saved in Polk County and beyond, but more work needs to be done at the southern border to cut-off the supply into the United States."

Florida State Attorney General Ashley Moody also attended today's news briefing and added, "This latest, largest fentanyl bust in Polk County history is enough of this deadly poison to kill 7 million Floridians."

Drug busts like this are crucial to the safety of our community, especially youth, to help fight the opioids crisis. Addiction can happen quickly. Counterfeit pills are man-made in mass quantities in labs and mixed with harmful chemicals, including fentanyl - the deadly synthetic opioid designed to drive addiction with potential to kill. Users have no way of knowing if they are taking the "real thing" or a counterfeit pill because they look exactly the same. One pill containing 2mg. of fentanyl - equal to the size of a few grains of sand - can kill. 💊