I was just a hanger-on, not a player. A police K-9 sniffed out more than six ounces of cocaine inside a car during a traffic stop. "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. The bag contained 25 bricks of cocaine. "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. The most famous of these were the Big Coppitt cowboys, a lose group of guys with fast boats and police scanners. Whats that smell in the Florida Keys? It was a routine bust.. 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. Once the windows were down, Faison said she smelled a strong odor of both burnt and fresh marijuana coming from inside the car. Monroe County sheriffs deputies pulled over his four-door Mercedes around 1 a.m. Friday behind the Seagrapes Apartment complex at 7155 Overseas Highway. "I been to the border twice, so I saw how it's coming in. Copyright 2021 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. 0 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. I never heard about any girlfriend of the lawyers disappearing as another other rumor that is floating thirty years later claims. Copyright 2022 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. Dealers are also disguising the drugs to look like candy. Police arrested 100 suspects and seized enough drugs to wipe out a large county. They captured 29 smugglers, and only missedtwo who swam away. Florida Gov. Amanda Batchelor, Digital Executive Producer. Both vehicles were pulled over between Mile Markers 32 and 33. - 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. Colorful pills drive new warnings about deadliest drug in the US. WebA Florida Keys man was pulled over by Monroe County sheriffs deputies, who said they found a lot of marijuana, several handguns and two runaways from Miami-Dade 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. 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. WSVN broadcast educational and informational programming for children, and file quarterly reports with the FCC detailing the station's outreach to children. On March 21. 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. Dyer is Howards boyfriend, according to the sheriffs office. During the wait, the lobby at the department filled with relatives, friends of the arrested men and interested on-lookers. David Goodhue covers the Florida Keys and South Florida for FLKeysNews.com and the Miami Herald. All rights reserved, What's With the Construction on I-95 in Broward? In addition to charges of possession of more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana trafficking and conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance, which were filed against all 30 defendants, charges of carrying concealed weapons were still pending against several of the men. A traffic stop on a Mercedes Benz driving with no lights on early Friday morning turned into a much bigger deal for the driver after Florida Keys deputies said they found a large amount of marijuana, two guns and two runaways from Miami-Dade County in the car. Hes in county jail on Stock Island, and his bond information was not immediately available. Detectives said the organization was obtaining large quantities of drugs from overseas and distributing them throughout Brevard County, which is about 50 miles east of Orlando. She's just a few weeks into her job with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office. mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} 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. Here's One Way to Pay Off Your Debt, Check Your Change! Nothing ever happens on Big Pine Key and weusually like it that way. Everyones a good friend or family of a number ofpeople. Sheriff William A. Freeman said of thesuspects, who were greeted by about 40 red-eyedrelatives at the Monroe County jail as they were booked. Galvan returned from Cuba aboard the Blanchie III and was the first Cuban-American to announce that Cuba had opened the harbor to the Freedom Flotilla. If youre a druggie driving U.S. 1 through the Florida Keys and youre pulled over, the last thing you want to hear is the Monroe County Sheriffs Department call in backup in the form of the K-9 crew, specifically the drug-sniffing two-year-old Golden Retriever named Coral. He didnt. Last week the U.S. Coast Guard seized what it deemed to be. A man in a smaller boat could clear maybe $40,000. We cannot allow these drugs and the criminals who peddle them to poison our communities and destroy lives," DeSantis said in a statement Wednesday. Contact Us A Key West woman faces drug trafficking and possession charges after a bust that was assisted by K9 cop Coral, the Monroe County Sheriffs Office says. I hoped I could talk my way out of there. Copyright 2021 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. He plans to break records, These Florida spots, one in the Keys, made the best beaches list. Gwen Filosa covers Key West and the Lower Florida Keys for FLKeysNews.com and the Miami Herald and lives in Key West. Traffic stop results in drug bust. mso-style-parent:""; The unloaders of the pot were young Cuban men and were caught milling around Long Beach Road where there are no Cubansnormally seen. One asshole in particular kept spinning the cylinder of his shiny .45 Colt revolver and making up things to accuse me of. Coral the K9 helped catch two suspected drug traffickers in the Florida Keys on Monday. Harry, what you doing here? the other man queried. 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. They also took at least a half dozen guns, including several satin steel, pearl-handled handguns, and a replica of a Colt .45. Over the years, illegal drugs lots of them have been seized or discovered off Florida's shorelines. WebAt age 71, this Florida Keys man is working steady in the drug-dealing game, police say. 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. These Valuable Pennies Are Worth Thousands, Miami-Dade Mayor, State Attorney Announce New Measures to Protect HOA Residents, Teen in Vicious Attack on Florida Teacher's Aide to Be Charged as Adult, Given $1M Bond, Ex-UM Football Player Accused of Killing Teammate Granted $850K Bond. WebDrugs seized by the U.S. Border Patrol in Monroe County. They were too many of them and they were too obvious. On foot and in boats, law officers surprised the smugglers, shutting off their escape by land and sea. bust a woman for drug possession in the Florida Keys. Staly adds there are a lot of undercover operations in the county and you will eventually get caught. mso-pagination:widow-orphan; The situation changed dramatically as Forbes tried to run away after a deputy found a suspicious package during a pat down. Huff is being held on $2.5 million bond, while both Walker and Wilborn are being held on just over $900,000 bond. WebOver the years, illegal drugs lots of them have been seized or discovered off Florida's shorelines. Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com. Horace Calhoun, Clarence Moore, Jr. and Shamichael Johnson were all at the apartment and taken into custody. it wasnt long before she was racking up drug busts. 2: Drug Bust at Haulover Marina. Inside the bag, deputies found 37 liquid marijuana cartridges used for vaping. At the initial approachto the house there were 2 Customs agents, Seals andanother, the other 3 were Sheriffs deputies one of whomwas Mike Barber. Whoever loaned his van or truck to a smuggler didnt even have to be there to make $10,000. The law caught on fast and the days of the cowboys didnt last much longer. This page is compiled mostly from Major Seals scrapbook that he wasgraciousenough to share with us. 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. If you need help with the Public File, call (954) 364-2526. ), Car dealership workers kidnapped, tortured in armed robbery: police, Woman buys new tires that turn out to be 9 years old. Robert Brown, a convicted felon, along with Deputies found the Taurus inside a fanny pack located in the back seat. Miami, FL 33141 In January she also was credited with helping catch a suspected cocaine dealer. Florida authorities arrested three suspects and seized more than 11 pounds of fentanyl as part of an undercover drug trafficking bust. Drugs seized by the U.S. Border Patrol in Monroe County. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. mso-style-priority:99; The senior citizen also had a 9mm handgun, 189 rounds of ammunition and a digital scale, police said. 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 1401 79th Street Causeway 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. Its coming from Cuba, weather forecasters say, Body found floating in channel off Key West, Monroe County Sheriffs Office says, A coconut tree farm caught fire in South Miami-Dade. WebFLORIDA KEYS, Fla. (WSVN) The Monroe County Sheriffs Office carried out a drug bust. That was one of the scariest nights I ever had. RELATED: What is rainbow fentanyl? What we're seeing, for example, just two months ago, we ceased purple fentanyl. I was with five of the 29 the night before in the lawyers Eden Pines home (the lawyer wasnt there) snorting coke, smoking pot and drinking booze and trying to get out of there with my ass in one piece. font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; A 35-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman were arrested following a search of their residence 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. All rights reserved. #breakingnews #florida. Switchboard: (305) 751-6692 He plans to break records, These Florida spots, one in the Keys, made the best beaches list. KEY 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 says. If you need help with the Public File, call (954) 364-2526. EN-US The suspects could face multiple charges ranging from conspiracy and trafficking to racketeer influenced corrupt organization (RICO). Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. Slosar said Good Samaritans stumbled upon the drugs and notified authorities. Authorities said additional deputies were called to the scene along with K9 Coral, who alerted them to drugs in the Lexus and BMW. X-NONE Good Samaritans found the drugs & notified authorities. There were kidnappings among that crowd, but that is another story and has nothing to do with this one. 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. Authorities said it the mostdefendants in a single Keys bust and among the most everin any Florida bust. Officers also found more than $3,000 in cash. Harry, he replied. Stock Island Residents: Fisherman Paco Novalas, 23, 221 Stock Island ApartmentsConstruction worker Ralph Jesus Valdez, 37, 5 SunshineSt.Richard Lee Mungin, 37, No. The guns ranged from .45 caliber automatics to .25 calibre automatics. mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; The lobster boat reportedly was outfitted with sophisticated radar equipment and, as an official described, the biggest engine Ive ever seen. One of the vehicles was said to have a built-in police scanner. 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. The canine deputy joined the department about three months ago and on Monday she caught yet another suspected drug dealer. WebDeputies arrested a 46-year-old Key West woman on multiple drug charges after a traffic stop on Big Pine Key yielded a litany of pills, FLORIDA KEYS. The presence of the Sooth Carolina man led officials to speculate that that was the destination of the contraband. Drug smuggling really took hold and changed lifestyles in the Florida Keys in the 1970s and 80s. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton brought 26,250 pounds of cocaine and 3,700 pounds of marijuana to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale -- the largest drug interdiction in the ship's history. 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. He said he knew the older boy was missing, but not the younger teen, Faison said. She might be cute. mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar confirmed that agents have responded to numerous drug wash-ups since the start of the month, seizing about 27 pounds of marijuana and three pounds of cocaine. A major drug operation in the Keys was disrupted Friday, leading to the arrest of six people on multiple drug-related charges.