Gwen Filosa covers Key West and the Lower Florida Keys for FLKeysNews.com and the Miami Herald and lives in Key West. Tawana Blackman and Leroy Lawson were arrested at that location. false "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. WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale, Coral Gables resident still refuses to sell decades-old home surrounded by massive development, Broward County pastor faces several fraud, grand theft charges after defrauding church, Gunman dead after hours-long SWAT standoff at SW Miami-Dade apartment complex, Police: Man fatally shot 3-year-old son, himself inside Coconut Grove condo, Police arrest student who made false bomb threat at Dillard High School; classes resume. The search by Special Operations detectives revealed a crack cocaine lab at the 2nd street location that contained powdered cocaine, crack cocaine and about 350 grams of marijuana packaged for sale. As the Marine Patrol or Customs would be speeding to intercept a pot boat the people on the pot boat would throw the bales off as fast as they could, trying to get rid of the evidence. The most famous of these were the Big Coppitt cowboys, a lose group of guys with fast boats and police scanners. Some of the many boats confiscated during the smuggling days and their captured loads are shown below. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. mso-style-parent:""; Slosar said Good Samaritans stumbled upon the drugs and notified authorities. David Goodhue covers the Florida Keys and South Florida for FLKeysNews.com and the Miami Herald. Amanda Batchelor, Digital Executive Producer. Fentanyl, often used to lace other drugs, is considered the deadliest drug in America, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Twenty-four suspects were arrested but one gang member remains at large: 39-year-old Efren Berumen from Kissimmee, Florida. Officers also found more than $3,000 in cash. A 35-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman were arrested following a search of their residence pic.twitter.com/ih10AhQAlx. 2: Drug Bust at Haulover Marina. Drug smuggling really took hold and changed lifestyles in the Florida Keys in the 1970s and 80s. MONROE COUNTY, Fla. Within just five days, nearly $80,000 worth of drugs have been discovered along the coastline in the Florida Keys, the U.S. Border Patrol in Miami announced Thursday. Ingesting as little as 0.25 milligrams can be fatal. BIG PINE KEY, Fla. Just days after helping bust a woman for drug possession in the Florida Keys, Monroe County Sheriffs Office K9 Coral is at it again. All rights reserved, What's With the Construction on I-95 in Broward? Among the arrested: Domingo F. Galvan, 44, a registered nurse at Key Wests tiny DePoo Memorial Hospital. They were too many of them and they were too obvious. Hes the uncle of County Commissioner Jerry Hernandez and the brother of former Key West police Chief Eugene Hernandez: Manuel Sanchez, 57, manager of the mens department at Key Wests Sears Roebuck & Co. store in Searstown Plaza on North Roosevelt Boulevard, and his brother Antonio, 54, a jewelry salesman. Whats that smell in the Florida Keys? Deputies ran a check on their names and found out they were runaways from Dade, Faison said. I was with him at breakfast that morning when he had to leave Mister Jims Restaurant when he heard about the bust on US1 Radio while it was playing in the background. WebEnough fentanyl seized to kill half of Florida; 'massive' bust linked to a Mexican drug cartel: AG By Gail Paschall-Brown, WESH , CNNWire Friday, October 14, 2022 mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; Rickie Santiago Pacheco, 23, faces charges of carrying a concealed firearm without a license, possessing a firearm while committing a felony, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, possession of drug paraphernalia, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and interfering with the custody of a minor. Crime "We must have strict enforcement for these dealers and treatment for those who have become addicted.. Robert Brown, a convicted felon, along with There was the time in the 1970s when square grouper was code for a bale of marijuana that was thrown overboard when the water cops showed up. Two men and a woman were arrested on multiple drug violations. WebA major drug operation in the Keys was disrupted Friday, leading to the arrest of six people on multiple drug-related charges. During the wait, the lobby at the department filled with relatives, friends of the arrested men and interested on-lookers. He was arrested and charged with trafficking cocaine. If you need help with the Public File, call (954) 364-2526. He plans to break records, These Florida spots, one in the Keys, made the best beaches list. These werent Saturday night specials, the deputy, said. table.MsoNormalTable Richard Allen Shank, 31, who drives a Pepsi Cola delivery truck in Key West. One asshole in particular kept spinning the cylinder of his shiny .45 Colt revolver and making up things to accuse me of. The Smith and Wesson was in the center console of the car, Faison said. FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. -- A traffic stop involving James Forbes Jr. happened just before 9 p.m. Tuesday night while riding a bike on Palm Avenue in Bunnell. Whos there, the agent was asked in Spanish. A police K-9 sniffed out more than six ounces of cocaine inside a car during a traffic stop. Officials say they havent been able to destroy it because of a paperwork backlog. mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; Francisco Hernandez, 58, an engineer for the Key West City Electric System and a former civilian fire fighter at the Key West Naval Air Station. The illegal 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 senior citizen also had a 9mm handgun, 189 rounds of ammunition and a digital scale, police said. A A. MARATHON, Fla. Two Marathon men are facing multiple drug charged, including trafficking in fentanyl, after a Monroe County Sheriff K9 Tipsters may remain anonymous. Nelson Alvarez-Bermudez, of Big Coppitt Key, was jailed Thursday after the Monroe County A massive drug bust has placed a dozen people behind bars after a drug home in New Smyrna Beach has been on deputies radar for months, they say. mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; Authorities confiscated 500 50-pound bales of pot, a 40-foot Marathon-based lobster boat, the Miss Lucy, two trucks, a 1980 Ford van, a Chevy pickup with a camper, a 1979 gold Cadillac and two 24- foot T-craft, boats designed for back-country fishing that arepopularwith smugglers because they can haul huge loads over shallow water at high speed. At the initial approachto the house there were 2 Customs agents, Seals andanother, the other 3 were Sheriffs deputies one of whomwas Mike Barber. The investigation started a month ago. The drugs had an estimated street value of at least $181,000, according to the office. Drugs seized by the U.S. Border Patrol in Monroe County. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said a long-term drug investigation took down a major drug distribution ring in Jacksonville consisting of 27 arrests. X-NONE Dyer was found in possession of the following, according to deputies: Deputies said Bell was found to be in possession of three grams of MDMA/ecstasy and a metal pipe. The drugnet, in addition to the arrests, resulted in the confiscation of approximately 500 bales of marijuana; two T-Craft boats; a 40-foot Lobster boat, Miss Lucy out of Marathon; two closed body trucks, a 1980 van, a pickup truck and a 1979 Cadillac. The cowboys would jump into their go-fast boats that were kept docked at the seawall next to their house, and zoom out to where the floating bales were. Miami's independent source of Authorities say they then found the following in the Camry: In addition to the trafficking charge, Gesell also faces charges of possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance (pills) without a prescription and possession of drug paraphernalia. local news and culture, The #Florida @USCG Cutter Valiant took down a narco sub carrying 12k lbs of cocaine in the #EasternPacific, cutting approximately $165 mil from smuggler pockets.More info and photos here: https://t.co/mSb28nTIzF pic.twitter.com/hS5kRVtV3f, Someone was dreaming of a white ChristmasApproximately 74 lbs of cocaine was found by a fisherman about 15 miles offshore and south of Sugarloaf Key in federal waters.All packages were turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The US Coast Guard offloaded more than $500 million worth of cocaine and marijuana in South Florida on Monday. Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com. They also took at least a half dozen guns, including several satin steel, pearl-handled handguns, and a replica of a Colt .45. Harry, what you doing here? the other man queried. They also confiscated 36 pounds of crystal meth, two kilograms of cocaine, over one kilogram of heroin, three kilograms of fentanyl, $108,000 in cash and 21 guns and ammunition - all in just three months. These square grouper were picked up by cowboys in fast boats who listened to the marine radio day and night for word when there was a dumping. The 104 arrest warrants concluded a months-long investigation by the Brevard County Sheriff's Office into an organization suspected of "distributing kilogram quantities" of heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl -- a synthetic opioid that can be up to 100 times more powerful than morphine, police said. Amanda Batchelor, Digital Executive Producer. "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. A police K-9 sniffed out more than six ounces of cocaine inside a car during a traffic stop. The pot that came from a square grouper was called sea weed. See what the rescue teams saw, Retired Navy officer enters Florida Keys undersea lodge. The 30 persons arrested were booked at the Monroe County Jail and questioned before being sent to a U.S. magistrate for bond hearings Saturday night. He didnt. I was with him almost every day during that time and knew the full cast of characters. Law enforcement officers raided a Keys smugglingoperation Saturday and busted an assortment of KeyWests establishment: the head of the Sears mensdepartment, a Chevrolet dealer, w Pepsi Cola truckdriver and a county commissioners uncle. The addresses for those named earlier are Jamardo, Geiger Key; F. Remand 3000 Flagler Ave.; A. Hernandez, 1603 Atlantic Blvd; Sanchez, 1122 Watson St; D. Galvan, 1612 United St. Florida authorities arrested three suspects and seized more than 11 pounds of fentanyl as part of an undercover drug trafficking bust. This time she alerted deputies to drugs inside a Lexus and a BMW that were pulled over Monday afternoon on Big Pine Key. According to authorities, deputies spotted Howard driving a black BMW south on U.S. 1 around 2:40 p.m. Monday. and help keep the future of New Times, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our. Authorities said additional deputies were called to the scene along with K9 Coral, who alerted them to drugs in the Lexus and BMW. What we're seeing, for example, just two months ago, we ceased purple fentanyl. Switchboard: (305) 751-6692 For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy, and Terms of Service. (The-CNN-Wire & 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. Staly said in Flagler, the age of overdoses range from 18 to 60. Another was a miniature (three inches long) replica of the old Colt 45. Both vehicles were pulled over between Mile Markers 32 and 33. That was one of the scariest nights I ever had. Thompson said the 4 a.m. drug bust culminated a four week investigation involving members of the Marathon sheriffs sub-station, U.S. Customs and the Marine Patrol. These people were very organized and were selling lots of drugs, he said. #BorderPatrol agents have responded to multiple drug washups & seized approx. Over the years, illegal drugs lots of them have been seized or discovered off Florida's shorelines. mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; WebKEY WEST, Fla. A Key West woman faces methamphetamine trafficking and other drug charges after a bust that was assisted by K9 cop Coral, the Monroe County Sheriffs Office Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. The bag contained 25 bricks of cocaine. K9 Coral with drugs seized during March 15 traffic stop. Ramsey also said that receiving information from law abiding citizens is important, especially in cases like this. Square Grouper is not an un-hip fish. Miami, FL 33141 ~Editor. Huff is being held on $2.5 million bond, while both Walker and Wilborn are being held on just over $900,000 bond. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. On Wednesday, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody announced the arrest of a massive violent gang operation in Florida linked to a Mexican drug cartel, WESH reported. "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. The confiscated vehicles are expected to be valued in the thousands of dollars. - A major drug bust led deputies to 120 gallons of liquid meth being transported in buckets by suspects from Georgia to Florida, overseen by a "mastermind" who ran the operation from federal prison, officials said Thursday. With this operation, we are making a significant dent in the sales of illegal drugs on Stock Island.. The situation changed dramatically as Forbes tried to run away after a deputy found a suspicious package during a pat down. Authorities said several rolled bills containing a powdery substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamines were found inside of the BMW. RELATED: What is rainbow fentanyl? mso-para-margin-right:0in; a whopping$1.4 billion worth of cocaine and weed. Same as you, waiting, the agent responded. The attorney general says cartels only care about profit and power. FLORIDA KEYS, Fla. (WSVN) The Monroe County Sheriffs Office carried out a drug bust. mso-style-priority:99; Web2:09 PM EST, Wed February 24, 2021. mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; WebFLORIDA KEYS, Fla. (WSVN) The Monroe County Sheriffs Office carried out a drug bust. They were expensive guns. At Least two, he said, had satin steel finish with pearl handles. The suspects were identified by authorities as Misty Marie Howard, 39, of Big Pine Key, who had a warrant for trafficking FLORIDA KEYS, Fla. (WSVN) The Monroe County Sheriffs Office carried out a drug bust. Deputies found the Taurus inside a fanny pack located in the back seat. Fifteen agents from three agencies seized 25,000 poundsof marijuana in the pre-dawn bust on Big Pine Key. mso-para-margin-top:0in; Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. Because the defendants were charged in federal court instead Circuit Court, Customs took the marijuana to Miami saving the sheriffs department the burden of storing it. There were kidnappings among that crowd, but that is another story and has nothing to do with this one. Nelson (Ping-Ping) Jamarado, 41, the wiry, bearded former boat mechanic who early this year bought a share of Bevis-Lewis Chevrolet Inc. of Key West. On March 21. So the cartels in Mexico are very good about marketing," Staly said. They successfully evacuated the building, removed and destroyed the device. WSVN broadcast educational and informational programming for children, and file quarterly reports with the FCC detailing the station's outreach to children. Copyright 2022 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. Florida Gov. Monroe County Sheriff's Office reports the Sheriff's detectives and the Special Weapons and Tactics Team gathered information for over a month's time, leading them to serve two search warrants simultaneously--- one on 2nd street and one on 11th avenue in Stock Island. Bert Thompson waited for a list of the names of those arrested and the charges to be filed. The public may view the reports by going to WSVN.com and clicking on "FCC Public File", or by visiting the FCC's website at FCC.org. A reporter for the Miami Herald, who wanted to take pictures of the arrested men, was threatened by the lobby crowd who warned him that neither he nor the camera would make it out of the building unharmed if he took photos. Colonel Rick Ramsay, who was there when the searches were conducted, said this was a large drug sales operation. 0 On foot and in boats, law officers surprised the smugglers, shutting off their escape by land and sea. Monroe County Sheriff's Office reports the Sheriff's The amount of opiates seized were "enough to kill every single resident of Brevard County," which has an estimated population of about 590,000 people, according to police. Border Patrol officials ask the public to report any suspicious activity by calling their toll free number 1-877-772-8146. The estimated value of the marijuana was listed at $2 million. Dozens of them were taken into custody and bused to prison, including the six alleged ringleaders. ), Car dealership workers kidnapped, tortured in armed robbery: police, Woman buys new tires that turn out to be 9 years old. Agents seized 48 pounds of fentanyl and more than 350 pounds of methamphetamines. pic.twitter.com/hN3VjDEG2G, On Wednesday, a Good Samaritan discovered 68 lbs. Authorities said Bell was driving the Lexus and Dyer was the passenger. The sheriffs department already has more than 1,100 bales of pot stored in 16 vehicles under armed guards just outside Freemans office window. Copyright 2021 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. This is a very small list of vessels confiscated by Major Seals Agents in just one or two years during the heyday of Keys pot smuggling. The long process known as coking in police language continued into the evening hours Saturday at the Monroe County Sheriffs Department 30 men rounded up during a pre-dawn marijuana bust were being questioned by officials. Copyright 2021 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. The two closed body trucks, both painted white, were former Sears vehicles, authorities said. They were charged with trafficking in marijuana, possession of over 2,000 pounds of marijuana and conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance. In those days the cowboys had faster boats and knew the waters better than the Marine Patrol (except for Officer Mark Walker, the best Marine Patrol Officer anyone has ever seen) so most times they could outrun the law. WebThe Border Patrol said 73 pounds of cocaine and 62 pounds of marijuana were found between two days. The individual noticed a large black bundle wrapped in tape & contacted local authorities. false Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. WebMarathon couple charged with possession in drug bust. mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; X-NONE 4 Sloans Trailer ParkJuan Manuel Venegas, 29, 837 Eighth Ave.Fisherman Michael Patrick OBrien, 22, 216 LincolnGardens.
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