Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf (WMSL 750) boarding teams interdict a low-profile go-fast vessel while patrolling international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean, seizing more than 3,100 pounds of suspected cocaine, Nov. 4, 2019. 2023 The Floridian. Federal authorities seized 15,000 kilos of cocaine, worth as much as $1 billion, at a Philadelphia shipping port, officials said Tuesday. Fugitive in $18 million COVID fraud scheme extradited to U.S. Where things stand in the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial, How Alaska became one of fentanyl's deadliest frontiers, U.S. requests extradition of drug kingpin's son, Mexico says. According to NBC Miami, the Coast Guard Cutter James dropped off the 54,500 pounds of cocaine and 15,800 pounds of marijuana during the bust at the Broward County port. HAPPENED JUST BEFORE NINE TUESDAY NIGHT WHILE HE WAS RIDING A BIKE ON PALM AVENUE IN BUNNELL. Investigators believe the ship was loaded with drugs after it left its last port of call in the Bahamas. Federal authorities in Pennsylvania arrested and charged two of the MSC Gayane's crew members with intentionally conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute. I WILL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT STRAIGHT AHEAD. The contraband was interdicted in 18 separate operations of suspected drug smuggling vessels in international waters of the Caribbean Basin and Eastern Pacific Ocean off the coasts of Mexico, Central and South America, officials said. LEE COUNTY, Fla. - Six people were arrested in a massive drug bust at an auto body shop in Lee County. Following his arrest, Hernandez took agents to his home where law enforcement officials discovered 800 grams of heroin, 4 more kilograms of meth, 13 guns and assorted ammunition inside the house. Sheriff Marceno said during the investigation they seized57 grams of cocaine, 620 grams of methamphetamine, 497 grams of fentanyl, eight guns, and more than $300,000. The bust, containing Mexican Cartel produced fentanyl, enough to kill every man, woman, and child in the state of Florida 11 times over. 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Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. They were also perpetrators of violence, Perez said. So the cartels in Mexico are very good about marketing, Staly said. Due to this cooperative effort, we maintain an offensive against criminal networks and criminal organizations.. Adult-use cannabis sales in Virginia wont begin before Jan. 1, 2024 as originally planned. What we're seeing, for example, just two months ago, we ceased purple fentanyl. Florida AG announces prosecution of Mexican fentanyl gang Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) on the massive fentanyl bust of traffickers tied to Mexican mafia. The operation is aimed toward removing street-level drugs and drug dealers. Tom Winter is a New York-based correspondent covering crime, courts, terrorism and financial fraud on the East Coast for the NBC News Investigative Unit. "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. Our total of over 1,000 grams of fentanyl and methamphetamine seizedmeans over 2200 doses that were stopped from ruining lives and families, said Sheriff Marceno. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Paul Krug. That includes law enforcement from Colombia, Costa Rica, and others. Authorities from other countries also spoke to the U.S. media about the busts. Example video title will go here for this video. WIN!! On Wednesday, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody announced the arrest of a massive violent gang operation in Florida linked to a Mexican drug cartel.Agents seized 48 pounds of fentanyl and more . These small vessels are designed to smuggle large amounts of contraband while evading law enforcement due to their camouflage and low profile, officials said. 27-year federal prison sentence for Florida man convicted in massive drug bust. >> WE HAVE SEEN OUR SEIZURES IN FLAGLER COUNTY IS UP OVER 500% SO FAR THIS YEAR COMPARED TO ALL OF LAST YEAR. Now that the Coast Guard has busted up numerous shipments and seized all these substances, it is back on land to offload it all. Massive Drug Busts Off Pacific Coast The Coast Guard detailed their multiple drug busts in a press release published yesterday. Copyright 2023 Waterman Broadcasting of Florida, LLC, Operation curbside crackdown leads to massive narcotics & gun bust at NFM drug house, Boat dumped on side of road in Lehigh Acres, Homeless man breaks up Bonita Springs drunken brawl by firing a warning shot, Sunseeker Resort has thousands of rooms booked for fall season despite hurricane setbacks, Iconic Fort Myers Beach breakfast spot vows to rebuild, Eli Lilly to cut insulin prices, cap costs at $35 for many people with diabetes, Teen to be tried as adult following fatal DeSoto County Fair shooting, DNA found on a sweet potato helps Massachusetts police solve 12-year-old cold case murder. ", Coast Guard's Karl Schultz says this massive cache of drugs is really the collective work of many. Jonathan Dienst is chief justice contributor for NBC News and chief investigative reporter for WNBC-TV in New York. As agents approached Hernandez at the complex, he tried to flee the scene but was placed in custody. A primary goal of legalizing cannabis is transitioning customers from the illegal to the legal market, and in Canada, it seems to be working. Florida Department of Law Enforcement Special Agent Mark Perez said they were independent organizations that shared suppliers and dealers that ensured a steady supply of drugs in North Florida.. Forbes, who's been arrested multiple times, was charged with, among other things, possession of methamphetamine and trafficking eight grams of fentanyl. This month the DEA made the biggest meth. NORTH FORT MYERS, Fla. On Tuesday, the Lee County Sheriffs Office (LCSO) announced operation curbside crackdown lead to 50 arrests in a massive narcotics and gun bust at a North Fort Myers drug house. Get notified of our the latest cannabis news, exclusive brand deals, events updates and more! MSC has a longstanding history of cooperating with U.S. federal law enforcement agencies to help disrupt illegal narcotics trafficking and works closely with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)," the statement said. Its 25 separate interdictions, five different Coast Guard cutters.". The two agreed to meet that day at an apartment complex parking lot, authorities say. The 10-day sting was the largest eradication of illegal marijuana cultivations in the history of the department. 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. LEE COUNTY, Fla. - A former Lee County Sheriff's Office deputy is being investigated for allegedly tipping off a Gateway family involved in a massive drug operation. Law enforcement agents said they also found more than $400,000 in cash. Two other Coast Guard vessels, the Tahoma and the Midgett, were responsible for seizing over 9,000 pounds of cocaine earlier that month. The busts were the result of what appears to be a coordinated effort between numerous Coast Guard crews. What we're seeing, for example, just two months ago, we ceased purple fentanyl. In addition to the drugs, police seized an unspecified amount of cash. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Bertholfs boarding teams seized more than 3,100 pounds of suspected cocaine during the interdiction. Updated: Oct 13, 2022 / 05:29 AM EDT TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement held a news conference in Tampa to announce the. Crew members of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter James offloaded approximately 59,700 pounds of cocaine and approximately 1,430 pounds of marijuana. Along with the cocaine, the Coast Guard also said it seized nearly 11,000 pounds of marijuana. There were seven separate vessels intercepted, including one "self-propelled semi-submersible vessel (SPSS) or narco submarine," officials said. Journalists: Javier Manjarres, Daniel Molina, , Isabel Webb Carey, Jackson Bakich, James McCool, Michelle Rosenberg,Yendi Alvarez, Mateo Guillamont and Grayson Bakich The situation changed dramatically as Forbes tried to run away after a deputy found a suspicious package during a pat down. >> I BEEN TO THE BORDER TWICE, SO I SAW HOW ITS COMING IN. Additionally, two rifles were found, both belonging to Hernandez. Yesterday in my community, the Sheriff called about another massive drug bust where they found another brick of fentanyl with a border cartel stamp. This is lawful pressure and resistance that makes our crime rate go down and the quality of life go up, said Sheriff Marceno. Methamphetamine destroys lives, degrades communities, and ruins families. Home News Crime Operation curbside crackdown leads to massive narcotics & gun bust at NFM drug house. Law students in Tucson, Arizona are helping people through an expungement process. It was at the time the largest cocaine bust in history in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. First published on August 5, 2021 / 9:35 PM. Some will face prosecution at the circuit level while some are likely to face statewide prosecutors. All of the confiscated cocaine and marijuana came from drug busts off the Pacific Coast of the United States and countries in Central America. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at his house and agents found 31 kilograms of meth, 756 grams of cocaine and about 523 grams of heroin. (null!=i&&i!=o.tag||null!=t&&t!=o.priority)}),gform.hooks[o][n]=r)}}); Born in Orlando but raised in Lake County, Florida, Jackson Bakich is currently a junior at Florida State University. The Lee County Sheriff's Office announced Operation Narco Navidad netted over $1.1 million, as well as kilos of cocaine and a . Please enter valid email address to continue. He had previously been convicted of a felony, including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, which meant he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law, according to authorities. Fort Myers, Florida - U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Tony Wilson, Jr. (31, LeHigh Acres) to life in federal prison for conspiring to distribute cocaine base (crack cocaine), heroin, and fentanyl; distribution of fentanyl; and possessing multiple firearms as a convicted felon. Contact Karl Etters at ketters@tallahassee.com or @KarlEtters on Twitter. >> YOU GOT NO LIGHTS ON AND YOURE BIKING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD, MAN. Peter joined CBS News Digital in February 2017. "I been to the border twice, so I saw how it's coming in. Smuggling Case, Italian Court Rules Hemp Flowers, Leaves are Not Narcotics, University of Arizona Students Launch Expungement Clinic, Virginia Adult-Use Cannabis Plans Halted Due to Failed Bills. So large, in fact, that the agency is now back on the mainland to offload several hundred million dollars worth of illegal substances. Email: Diversenewmedia@gmail.com. To subscribe, please submit your email address below. We are going to go to every crevice, ever hole, every place where these individuals try to hide and we will root them out, he said. Video released by the U.S. Coast Guard shows crew members from the Bertholf intercepting a "low-profile go-fast vessel" while on patrol in November. These drugs will not reach Main Street USA due to the efforts of [] Coast Guard cutters involved in these interdictions, said Captain Jeffrey Randall, commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter James, which was heavily involved in the drug busts. Attorneys offices across various districts to bring justice to those responsible for the illegal shipments. Coast Guard District 7. Law enforcement agents said they also found more than $400,000 in cash. / CBS News. A massive amount of drugs is off the streets of Lee County, Florida. Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Subscribe to the newsletter everyone in Florida is reading. A second mate and a crew member have been arrested in the massive bust. NOW IS THE TIME TO TALK TO YOUR LOVED ONES, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN. Staly said in Flagler, the age of overdoses range from 18 to 60. DEALERS ARE NOT ONLY MARKETING TO EVEN YOUNGER CROWDS, SOME ARE PEDALING THE DRUGS ANY WAY THEY CAN. "MSC takes this matter very seriously and is grateful to the authorities for identifying any suspected abuse of its services," according to a company statement. Last Squeeze2.28.2023House Democrat Calls DeSantis as 'Fascist' Border CrisisMore Gaetz, Waltz Question Veracity of Ukraine Funding, Frost Calls DeSantis a Fascist: 'I Don't Care What Anyone Says. The Coast Guard says it has confiscated 19 tons of narcotics, including nearly 28,000 pounds of cocaine and about 11,000 pounds of marijuana. Numerous agencies from the Department of Defense and Homeland Security participated in the drug busts, including members of the Navy, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI and the DEA. The Coast Guard said there were 27 incidents in which suspected drug smuggling vessels were stopped by various American, Dutch and Canadian ships in international waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. The Lee County Sheriff's Office held a news conference on the raid that happened at an . Currently, he is the co-host of "Tomahawk Talk" (WVFS), a sports talk radio program covering Florida State athletics in Tallahassee. Homeland Security Investigations has filed an arrest warrant affidavit which details how Ivan Durasevic and Fonofaavae Tiasaga allegedly coordinated the loading of cocaine onto the vessel. He currently lives in New York City. Tiasaga allegedly told agents that it was Durasevic who operated the crane that brought on the bales of the cocaine after the MSC Gayane was approached by six separate boats during the night while the ship was sailing between Panama and Coronel. Perez said as part of acriminal enterprise, many covered their illegal dealings through seemingly legitimate businesses such as recording studios, entertainment venues, trucking companies and auto body shops. He said much of the violent activity connected to the drug ring happened in the rural county west of Tallahassee. Lane Riverfront Park this weekend, Calling all art lovers: 2023 Gasparilla Festival of the Arts returning to Julian B. 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