Subscribe to 104.5 WOKV newsletter(Opens a new window), 104.5 WOKV facebook feed(Opens a new window), 104.5 WOKV twitter feed(Opens a new window), 104.5 WOKV instagram feed(Opens a new window). Operation Dirty Water While several arrests were made in Tallahassee, a large part of the operation ran through Gadsden County. 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. 'Deck the Cells': 24 arrested in Citrus County drug bust operation 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. Sign up below to be added to our mailing list for the latest news updates, access to exclusive contests, and more! The SWAT team made entry to the home after knocking and announcing who they were. Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken spoke about this drug epidemic in the city during the press conference. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. team makes major drug bust at Pensacola home Several arrested, including former NFL players father, in Bradford County drug ring bust, 'My son didn't deserve this': Gainesville mother mourns 4-year-old son who drowned in pond, Three inmates treated after being found under-the-influence in a Columbia County prison, Gainesville man arrested for pulling gun on his brother. Receive a detailed news briefing each morning and evening along with our Attractions Insider briefing on Fridays on our app, Investigators participate in a drug bust in Volusia County that took place Thursday and Friday. arrested in worldwide drug trafficking operation, including PENSACOLA, Fla (WKRG) The Escambia County Sheriffs Office Narcotics Unit and SWAT Team arrested two men at a home at 2987 Michael Drive and theyre facing several drug charges. 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. TRENDING STORY: Gainesville man arrested for pulling gun on his brother. WebPENSACOLA, Fla (WKRG) The Escambia County Sheriffs Office Narcotics Unit and SWAT Team arrested two men at a home at 2987 Michael Drive and theyre facing Related story: Ocala police uncover drug operation run by father and son during shooting investigation. Are dogs allowed on the beach in Dauphin Island? 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. To keep up with the latest local news subscribe to our TV20 newsletter HERE and receive news straight to your email every morning. Police say they are still looking for Mario Hankerson on a warrant for selling cocaine. Cox Media Group. Several arrested, including former NFL player Investigators said the arrests included charges of armed trafficking in fentanyl, armed trafficking in oxycodone, possession of methamphetamine, and the sale and delivery of crack cocaine. On April 29 Drug Thomas' father, Earl Thomas, 67, was also among those arrested. 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. In January, Sheriff Michelle Cook, along with All rights reserved. ', A Frank Conversation: New podcast explores race, religion, politics and more, Sign up now for the Brightside Blend Newsletter. There were more than 100 charges from the cases, including over 80 felonies. Deputies: 16 arrested in Volusia County drug busts - News 13 They had 9.3 grams of marijuana, 1.6 grams of cocaine, 3.2 grams of Oxycodone pills, 3.5 grams of MDMA pills that test positive for methamphetamine and 2.3 grams of Tramadol pills. Major Drug Bust in Florida Your browser does not support HTML5 audio. All rights reserved. He allegedly had multiple "stash houses" in town that were raided by police who discovered drugs, cash and guns. Enable our Skill today to listen live at home on your Alexa Devices! Some will face prosecution at the circuit level while some are likely to face statewide prosecutors. Out of those 900 cases, 119 people lost their lives. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. You think about that brothers," Judd said after suggesting he'd help the men come up with a new rap song. We arent only going to put you in jail, but were going to take you money cars and businesses and anything else you gained from the sale of illegal drugs, Sheriff Marceno said. Once she returned, the vehicle left. Inside the vehicle, deputies located: Daniel Lamb was issued a criminal citation for Operating a Motor Vehicle with a suspended license and was released from the scene. Officials said that several suspects who were directly involved with opioid overdose death investigations were arrested. WebPolk Sheriff talks about major drug bust and makes up a rap verse. You can watch the full news conference below: Breaking news and weather alerts:Get the free 10 Tampa Bay app, Stay In the Know! Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. From left: Luis Spencer, 31, and Olatunji Dawodu, 36. Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. Authorities said they took down DarkMarket, the worlds then-largest illegal marketplace on the Darknet, in January and international law enforcement agencies identified various Darknet drug vendors and buyers who engaged in tens of thousands of sales of illicit good and services across Australia, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. I believe that if we try hard enough we can do anything, Douglas said. Judd said James McClain, 34, was a major distributor of methamphetamines and marijuana in the Lake Wales area. Win Tickets to see Taylor Swift in Tampa Bay! Additionally, more than 10 grams of Fentanyl, 7.4 grams of Methamphetamines, Hydromorphone pills, Cannabis and several loaded syringes containing Fentanyl were discovered. Reach out for help. 1:14. 30 pounds of cocaine, $330,000 cash seized; 27 charged in According to Judd, McClain told investigators he dyed the methamphetamines blue in recognition of the Democratic Party. All rights reserved. Altogether, the suspects have 645 previous charges, including 314 prior felonies and 331 prior misdemeanors. Are dogs allowed on the beach in Gulf Shores? LEE COUNTY, Fla. Six people were arrested in a massive drug bust at an auto body shop in Lee County. WebThe drug bust was reportedly sparked by two recent homicides in the area. A 9mm handgun was also seized during the operation, investigators said. MIAMI - South Florida federal prosecutors have charged the leader of a notorious Mexican drug cartel and five others for their alleged roles in importing into the United States over 500 kilograms of Mexican methamphetamine. 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. There are also plans to hand over those cases to the Office of the State Attorney after each investigation is done, with the intention of securing manslaughter indictments. The sheriff said during the news conference that they also raided a Gateway Record drug bust: $1.4 billion worth of cocaine and marijuana Copyright 2021 WCJB. 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. The suspects from South Florida were identified by authorities as Luis Spencer, 31, and Olatunji Dawodu, 36, both of who are from Fort Lauderdale. They hurt parents and siblings and spouses and most of all our children, Cook said. Jul 23, 2021. In a news conference, Sheriff Grady Judd said drugs like marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamines and ecstacy were taken from the Lake Wales area. Ketchum was observed exiting the vehicle and entering the home. Angela Dunklebarger, 49, Tavoris Jones, 37, and Reginald Phillips, 37, remain at large, according to law enforcement. He said since OPD started tracking drugs in the community in 2017, just in Ocala proper, police have responded to roughly 900 over dose incidents. 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, Lee County deputies served several search warrants and detectives found $1 million in cash as well as kilos of cocaine and fentanyl. My team and I remain dedicated to eradicating the sale of illegal drugs in our community. New Zealand police find 3.5 tons of cocaine in Pacific Ocean. The operation resulted in the seizure of weapons, drugs and more than $31 million in cash and virtual currencies. This afternoon Im at @ocalapd for a press conference with UDEST to speak on the opioid epidemic and the arrest of 83 people involved with drugs in Marion Co. @WCJB20 @MCSOFlorida pic.twitter.com/3qW2x9taCc. Amanda Batchelor, Digital Executive Producer. Operation Dirty Water Leads to Major Drug Bust in Floridas Polk County May 8, 2021 May 7, 2021 Casey Owens The Polk County sheriffs office along with the U.S. Border Control and other federal agencies have seized 120 gallons of liquid methamphetamine and other narcotics as a result of a transnational investigation named On April 29 and 30 deputies and investigators hit areas in DeLand and Deltona. Over 100 arrested in massive Florida drug bust after months-long Investigators say Vincent Thomas, 35, and Patrick Field, 34, were also considered main distributors in the area. Authorities said Spencer, Dawodu and Alex Ogando, 35, of Providence, Rhode Island, advertised and sold pressed fentanyl pills throughout the U.S. Left lane blocked due to crash on I-295 Southbound after Exit 41 FL-105 Heckscher Dr. Left lane blocked due to crash on FL-202 Butler Blvd Eastbound at Belfort Rd. 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. VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. The Volusia County Sheriff's Office arrested 16 people on drugs charges during busts this week. (Volusia County Sheriff's Office), California Consumer Limit the Use of My Sensitive Personal Information, California Consumer Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. One of the accounts was operated out of the Miami area and the other out of the Providence, Rhode Island, area.. PCSO charges 32 suspects during Operation Bell Gang Blues, a 16-month investigation of 32 charged in Polk County $283K drug bust | wtsp.com Spencer, Dawodu and Ogandoare charged in the District of Columbia withconspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. In January, Sheriff Michelle Cook, along with her leadership team, say they took a hard look at the drug issues in Clay County and discussed strategies on how to best combat them. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said a long-term drug investigation took down a major drug distribution ring in Jacksonville WebMiami-Dade PD Takes Down 5 In Drug Bust Near Kendall School, Confiscating Duffle Bags, Coolers Full Of Narcotics. During a press conference Thursday morning, Judd said earlier this year the Polk County Sheriffs Office High WebCLAY COUNTY, Fla. The Clay County Sheriffs Office said Thursday 44 people are behind bars following a massive drug bust. 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In the largest methamphetamine seizure in Miami-Dade County history, law enforcement agents seized They arrested Marcus Blankenship and Steven Brown and there were three other people inside at the time. During the investigation, detectives and agents executed search warrants at eight locations in southeast Polk County: Detectives filed 301 total felony and 134 total misdemeanor charges against the suspects during the investigation. Our community is safer because of the outstanding work by our detectives. Grady Judd, Sheriff, Tampa Bay Florida's #1 Hit Music Channel and home of The joe Show, PCSO charges 32 suspects during Operation Bell Gang Blues, a 16-month investigation of illegal drug trafficking. Everything you love about wokv.com and more! 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. 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. The sheriff said, during their investigation, deputies discovered there were three key players behind the drug trafficking.