You think LAX has got a drug smuggling problem at the airport?". 59-year-old Isidoro Palacios was arrested at a methamphetamine lab located at5359 Stonewall Tell Road in College Park, Georgia. Richard Tribou is the Senior Content Editor for Audience, and Space and Cruise reporter for the Orlando Sentinel. Only a portion of the seized drugs would have been sold on the street in Polk County, and the rest would have been distributed through the country, he said. Polk Sheriff Grady Judd told media on Friday that the investigation, which started in September 2020, resulted in the arrests of 85 suspects who are now facing a This poison is really killing people, Lopez said. The sheriff's office, working in conjunction with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies from across the country, began a wiretap investigation in February 2022 to monitor the trafficking ring's activity. He said it was the largest drug sting in Polk County history, with its main operations based in Winter Haven. Among the 85 suspects arrested, Judd singled out six that he called "ringleaders.". In early 2021, the Polk County Sheriff's Office High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force (HIDTA) and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) initiated a joint investigation of a drug trafficking organization with ties to the Juarez Mexican Drug Cartel. Judd said the the operation involved multiple agencies across the state and nation, including the Winter Haven Police Department, the Osceola County Sheriff's Office, the Orlando Police Department, the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office, the Fresno, California, Police Department, the Shelby County, Tennessee, Sheriff's Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the U.S. Border Patrol andthe U.S. Department of Homeland Security, among others. In February 2022, detectives received a court order for a wiretap and began monitoring suspects, officials said. She is currently in the Polk County Jail with no bond. Deputies say Meers left 35 pounds of meth in her truck across the street from the landscaping company she worked for. Judd praised Sibley for leading the operation. He is facing Polk County, Florida charges of: This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ", Domestic violence suspect:Man killed by Lake Wales police after fatally shooting K-9, 'He's dead now':Winter Haven man told 911 dispatcher he shot his father, PCSO says, Officer shot:Haines City Police officer recovering after beingshot during a traffic stop Sunday. - The Polk County Sheriff's Office says their latest drug bust resulted in the largest seizure of fentanyl in the history of the agency. Ornelas-Martinez is in the United States illegally and is charged with manufacturing methamphetamine and possession of a firearm while in the commission of a felony. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd speaks with reporters on Thursday, April 29. One of the cartels is not very happy today because their folks got caught with a whole lotta drugs," Sheriff Grady Judd said. Sheriff's officials said they arrested his partner, Vicente Carranza-Basanta, the same day. Atlanta is the southeastern hub for meth trafficking, Judd said. Members of HSI in Atlanta and Tampa, U.S. Border Patrol and the Snellville Police Department in Georgia stood behind Judd at Thursdays news conference. "They didnt as so much as throw a pair of underwear in the suitcase to act like they were hiding the drugs," Judd said in a Friday morning press conference. POLK COUNTY, Fla. It all started with the interception of an envelope filled with Xanax pills and ended with the seizure of the largest volume of methamphetamine in the history of the Polk County Sheriff's Office. PCSO undercover detectives conducted a controlled delivery at 3237 Xerxes Avenue NW in Winter Haven and arrested37-year-old Amber Cayson of Winter Haven. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. The fatal shooting of a 17-year-old in Haines City last week is believed to be connected to another shooting that occurred minutes earlier that same day, according to the Polk County Sheriffs Office. A fourth, 1140 Dugdown Road, was listed in Buchanan. The 24 orange buckets displayed at the news conference were of the same type used by the traffickers and symbolized the amount of liquid meth seized, Judd said. If you need help with the Public File, call 407-291-6000. Polk County undercover detectives conducted a controlled delivery in Winter Haven, Florida, and arrested 37-year-old Amber Cayson, deputies say. The suspects previous criminal histories, he said, include 690 previous felonies, 712 previous misdemeanors, and 194 felony convictions. Judd said the investigation is ongoing and there were suspects the Sheriff's Office was still looking for. And then because of HSI, because of the leadership of these professionals who are with me today and others who couldnt make it, we were able to take it from the street level all the way back to the distribution point.. OK, great. The mastermind of the drug-trafficking network ran it from inside the United States Penitentiary Atlanta, where he is an inmate, he said. Possessing a vehicle for drug trafficking (F2) ", He added, "There needs to be a deep dive into the baggage handlers, and to see where the hookup was, to allow suitcase after suitcase after suitcase to get through the scanning with no clothes inside, no evidence of clothes inside just drugs. The operation involved the Polk County Sheriff's Office, Department of Homeland Security, Haines City Police Department and law enforcement agencies from Georgia. Palacios is charged with trafficking methamphetamine, theft by receiving stolen property, and animal cruelty (stemming from the illegal rooster fighting ring). Judd identified six people as the ring leaders: Demarcus Terrell Jefferson, 32, of Winter Haven, Dwayne Kenneth Stackhouse Sr., 39, of Lake Wales; Abadosh McKenzie, 41, of Riverview; Lenard Henderson, 42, of Polk County, Javarius Samuel, 31, of Fresno, California; Darmonte Munson, 30, of Winter Haven. Experts say that most large-scale drug smugglers useports of entry and drugs are not carried by people illegally crossing the border on foot. They make money off the misery of others. Hes served three stints in prison. Stanton's criminal history includes 26 arrests in Georgia to include charges of trafficking in methamphetamine, conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine, threatening a law enforcement officer, furnishing alcohol to a minor, and numerous parole and probation violations. According to the Detectives found luggage containing about 35 pounds of meth in Meers truck, the PCSO said. Trafficking in methamphetamine (F1) The operation also involved the Federal Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Sumter County Sheriffs Office and seven law-enforcement departments in Georgia, the PCSO said. Download our app. Investigators seized 1,416 pounds of crystallized and liquid meth with a street value of over $50 million. ( DrydenWire) -- A recent traffic stop by Wisconsin State Patrol Troopers on a vehicle in the Town of Sarona, Washburn County led to the seizure of heroin, marijuana, You can watch the full video below. His criminal history includes 2 arrests in Georgia with charges of trafficking in cocaine, illegal drug possession, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and driving without a valid license. You can call it the Bell Gang Blues rap song.". We arrested the people. Will DeSantis have to resign to run for president? That means 6.8 ounces of fentanyl could have killed up to 96,000 people.. Judd said suspects were active throughout Central Florida from Orlando to Tampa and in cities in Lake and Osceola counties among others, and arrests were made in several Florida counties as well as in California with the help of multiple law enforcement agencies. Sheriff Grady Judd detailed the undercover trafficking operation, which ended with the arrests of three suspects and 11 pounds of fentanyl seized by detectives. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, along with Department of Homeland Security investigators from Tampa and Atlanta, the Haines City Police Department, and Georgia law enforcement agencies, held a news conference Thursday to discuss the investigation. Now shes an arrested girl," Judd said. 37-year-old Brian Stantonis currently incarcerated in theAtlanta US Penitentiary, Georgia. POLK COUNTY, Fla. (CW44 News At 10) - Sheriff Grady Judd says their most recent drug bust resulted in the Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. Inside the residence, authorities found 2 adult females and She was arrested and the investigation pushed forward. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2023 www.theledger.com. While investigating the gas station crash, detectives received information that Demarcus and other members of the Jefferson family were involved in smuggling large amounts of methamphetamine through airlines in checked luggage on domestic flights from California. Those props illustrated Judds announcement Thursday morning of what he said was the largest methamphetamine bust in the history of the Polk County Sheriffs Department, netting the seizure of more than $53 million in illegal drugs. This is not a horrible fairy tale. Also seized at the residence was 24 pounds of THC edibles, 2.4 pounds of marijuana, and a pound of methamphetamine. She graduated from UCF and returned to Central Florida after working in Colorado. On April 20, detectives conducted a traffic stop on U.S. 27 in Davenport as Stackhouse was traveling from Orlando. Possession of marijuana with intent to sell (F3) Darmonte Munson, 30: Sheriff's officials said a piece of luggage that was intercepted was slated for Munsons residence at514 Lake Dexter Blvd. "Two milligrams of fentanyl can be a deadly overdose," Judd said. POLK COUNTY -- A search warrant was executed at an Osceola, WI residence on February 13, 2020 by the Polk County Sheriffs Office, St. Croix Valley Drug Task Force, and Osceola Police Department, according to a probable cause report from the Polk County Sheriffs Office. Conspiracy to traffic in methamphetamine (F1) About - Abuse - Contact Us - Disclaimers - Donate - Privacy Policy - Terms of Use -, 2020-2021 - Cop Blaster: Police Misconduct Reporting & Monitoring -, The Future of Law Enforcement Accountability, Jonathan Mcmillen-Memphis Informant-Snitch- Lil Wyte Affiliate, Sue Your Snitch! in Winter Haven. Cayson is charged with: The spokesperson added that TSA security officers do not search for illegal drugs, but if found during the screening process, the TSA will refer the matter to law enforcement partners. Get notified on your phone in the morning with the latest forecast and news to start your day. Approximately 2,500 Xanax pills seized (street value: approximately $25,000)TOTAL STREET VALUE: $53,854,640. Follow on Twitter @garywhite13. 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Investigators learned that the suspects smuggled large amounts of drugs from Mexico into California, then transported the drugs on domestic flights from Los Angeles through Memphis, Tennessee and then to Orlando International Airport. The operation began Jan. 14, when federal agents intercepted a shipment of generic Xanax in New York, Judd said. The operation went through California, Tennessee, and Orlando. "Some people still call this low-level, non-violent drugs. Example video title will go here for this video. The investigation, labeled Operation Dirty Water,has yielded six arrests so far, including a Winter Haven woman and others linked to a Mexican drug cartel, Judd said. You think weve got a big operation going on here? Stackhouse was released from jail on May 31, after posting bond in the amount of $116,250, and a GPS ankle monitor was placed on him. / CW44 Tampa Bay. It resulted in the largest volume of methamphetamine seized during a joint investigation. Meers is said to have just been released from prison after serving a 10-year sentence for drug trafficking and is currently on federal probation. According to the Lebanon Police Department, the residence at 603 CL Manier Street has Methamphetamine destroys lives, degrades communities, and ruins families. Undercover detectives made multiple drug purchases at his Winter Haven home, learning that six months earlier, one of Demarcus' brothers, Devontae, died from a Fentanyl and Xanax overdose at that same house. The sheriff said the drugs were smuggled in suitcases through domestic flights from LAX. Officials say they recovered These drug dealers have blood on their hands. Possession of marijuana over 20 grams (F3) This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Two people suspected of dealing large amounts of fentanyl and other drugs in the Polk County area have been arrested, authorities said Wednesday. Now that doesnt sound like a lot, just 6.8 ounces. Federal and local investigators took him down along with 18 alleged sub-dealers and buyers in the Lakeland area. A search of his home turned up about a pound of marijuana and a handgun. The Department of Homeland Security Investigations coordinated with its Tampa office to arrange undercover purchases of other drugs, and the agency asked the Polk County Sheriffs Office for help, said Kevin Sibley, special agent in charge for the Tampa office. The 85 arrests involved 355 combined felonies and 93 misdemeanors in a case centered on drug trafficking in the area around Winter Haven, Florida, authorities said. There needs to be a deep dive into the baggage handling and to see where the hookup was to allow suitcase after suitcase after suitcase to get through the scanning with no clothes inside no evidence of clothes inside just drugs, he said.
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