Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez was on hand since the criminal activity often ventured past the county border. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Deputies said Radina had 12 grams of fentanyl on her when she was arrested. 5 suspects arrested This time, leading investigators to the United States Federal Penitentiary in Atlanta where 37-year-old Brian Staton, known as "Lil B" was being held. Updated: Nov 4, 2021 / 10:53 PM CDT. The 32 suspects face a total of 301 felonies and 134 misdemeanors. 59-year-old Isidoro Palacios was arrested at a methamphetamine lab located at5359 Stonewall Tell Road in College Park, Georgia. I believe that they do and they need to address it, he said. POLK COUNTY, Fla. (CW44 News At 10) - Sheriff Grady Judd says their most recent drug bust resulted in the Drug Trafficking Investigation Yields arrested after Polk County drug bust Press Release. However, the family continued to sell drugs at the home after Devontae's death, the sheriff's office said. Mexico-to-Central Florida drug ring broken up, sheriff says Three for driving without a valid license and one charge for theft by receiving stolen property. Ornelas-Loza is charged with theft by receiving stolen property. Matt Murphy, who witnessed the 2020 gas station crash, told FOX 13 at the time that after the driver crashed through the building, an SUV showed up. 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, mushrooms, ecstasy pills, prescription pills, a digital scale, and numerous items of drug paraphernalia along with nearly $1,500 in cash. One of the cartels is not very happy today because their folks got caught with a whole lotta drugs," Sheriff Grady Judd said. Read More. The investigation was focused on a drug trafficking ring that smuggled cocaine and meth from Mexico, according to a Polk County Sheriff's Office news release. Mason was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia. The investigation began on January 14, 2021, when a parcel shipped from Quebec, Canada containing approximately 2,500 Xanax pills was intercepted by investigators. 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. Judd appeared with State Attorney Brian Haas and representatives from the U.S. Border Patrol, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Winter Haven Police Department and the Osceola County Sheriffs Office to detail the results of a drug sting investigation that included the use of wiretaps for what Judd said was a ring that ran from Mexico to Los Angeles and Fresno, California, and then arriving to Central Florida through domestic flights to Orlando International Airport. Dwayne Kenneth StackhouseSr., 39: Judd said Stackhouse was identified as a large scale cocaine supplier in Central Florida. The same day, detectives conducted a traffic stop and arrested Samuel on his two active warrants in Florida. This is not a horrible fairy tale. Those props illustrated Judds announcement Thursday morning of what he said was the largest methamphetamine bust in the history of the Polk County Sheriffs Palacios is charged with trafficking methamphetamine, theft by receiving stolen property, and animal cruelty (stemming from the illegal rooster fighting ring). Judd said Samuel was usinga forged Georgia drivers license to evade law enforcement and travel between Florida and California. WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Detectives in Polk County arrested more than two dozen people in a drug trafficking sting following a 16-month undercover investigation. 85 arrested in international drug ring operating out of WebPolk Busted - Daily Polk County Jail arrest mugshots, sheriff booking inquirey, and crime news for Lakeland, Winter Haven and more. Officials say they recovered He is currently in Fulton County Jail with a $100,000 bond. She is currently in the Polk County Jail with no bond. / CW44 Tampa Bay. Deputies said Kevin Mason, 54, of Lakeland showed up to the residence on a bicycle, and told a detective he was there to purchase $100 worth of narcotics. The Sheriff's Office learned that Brian Stanton, an inmate at United States Penitentiary Atlanta, was directing the sale and delivery of meth in Polk County, the release said. The woman had connections to the Juarez drug cartel in Mexico, Judd said. 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. Illegal drugs destroy lives and families, and generate theft and violence in our community, and drug traffickers are profiting from the destruction. On March 13, 2021,43-year-old Jennifer Meers of Stone Mountain, Georgiadelivered a suitcase with 12 large clear storage bags containing 26 pounds of methamphetamine to an undercover detective at a hotel in Lakeland. Possession of a structure for drug trafficking (F2) OK, great. The Sheriff's Office said he is charged with DUI manslaughter in that incident and his criminal case is pending. 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. Judd praised Sibley for leading the operation. "He was the one who really put together the trips from LAX to Florida," Judd said. Polk Sheriff Grady Judd told media on Friday that the investigation, which started in September 2020, resulted in the arrests of85 suspects who are now facing a total of 355 felony chargesand 93 misdemeanors. He had drugs," Judd said. Vincent Thomas, 35, of Lake Wales was arrested for: Trafficking in Cocaine 400 grams or more (1 count) Possession of marijuana with intent to sell (1 count) Conspiracy to traffic cocaine 28 grams or more (4 counts) Conspiracy to sell cocaine (9 counts) Conspiracy to purchase cocaine (1 count) Conspiracy to sell marijuana ( 141 counts) Conspiracy to purchase marijuana ( 5 counts) Unlawful use of a two-way device (1 count) Possession of marijuana over 20 grams (1 count) Possession of drug paraphernalia (1 count) Possession of oxycodone (1 count) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (1 count) Possession of prescription medication without a prescription (1 count) Maintaining a structure to sell drugs (1 count)His criminal history includes 173 felonies and 16 misdemeanors. Large Drug Bust Made During Traffic Stop in Polk County If you look at our org chart there, youll notice that theres kind of three distinct groups of people, he said. )], Judd said the investigation began in September 2020 when the sheriffs office received information a family in Winter Haven, identified as the Jefferson family, was smuggling large amounts of drugs into Florida from Mexico through California and then to the streets of Central Florida.. Mitchell Ware, 68, of Coral Springs was arrested in Broward County for a Polk County warrant for: Conspiracy to purchase marijuana (1 count) Unlawful use of two communication device (1 count). It means that 6.8 ounces of fentanyl could have killed up to 96,000 people, Judd said. LAKELAND (FOX 13) - The Polk county sheriff says for almost 15 years, a cocaine dealer dodged law enforcement while living the high life. All rights reserved. Meth crime ring bust leads to 26 arrests in north Georgia Polk County Sheriff's Office: Winter Haven man fatally shot by officer Saturday night, 3 Polk County deputies charged with felonies related to evidence tampering, Body cameras revisited after suspect fatally shot by Winter Haven police, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. All rights reserved. Im so very proud of our detectives and the agents and law enforcement officers who partnered with us to get these dangerous drugs and felons off the street," Judd said in a written statement. ", "Can y'all make a rap about this?" Deputies are looking for a hit-and-run driver after a crash Sunday night seriously injured a 67-year-old motorcyclist in Winter Haven. suspects charged in Polk County drug bust, sheriff If you need help with the Public File, call 407-291-6000. More:Polk County Sheriff's Office: Winter Haven man fatally shot by officer Saturday night, More:3 Polk County deputies charged with felonies related to evidence tampering, More:Body cameras revisited after suspect fatally shot by Winter Haven police. - The Polk County Sheriff's Office says their latest drug bust resulted in the largest seizure of fentanyl in the history of the agency. Florida transgender athlete ban heads to DeSantis' desk, Report: Cruises could restart this summer under CDC guidance, Video shows Hillsborough County deputy help alligator across busy intersection, Fact-checking President Biden's address to Congress, Republican response, COVID-19 vaccine specially developed for animals is on its way to ZooTampa, Sign up now for the Brightside Blend Newsletter. Six people have been arrested, including five people in the country illegally. Also seized at the residence was 24 pounds of THC edibles, 2.4 pounds of marijuana, and a pound of methamphetamine. 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. Detectives also searched his residence at160 Serenity Blvd. Hes served three stints in prison. News FBI - Federal Bureau of Investigation 20 firearms seized (3 were reported as stolen) Possession of Xanax with intent to sell (F3) If you want a pest-free patio this spring, the most important thing you can do is take away those elements that bugs find desirable. HSI agents and Georgia officers searched those and other locations, arresting three men and seizing 1,416 pounds of crystal and liquid meth, the release said. His current sentence runs through 2040. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Using what it called the "largest wiretap in Polk County history," the Polk County Sheriff's Office said it broke up an international drug smuggling ring operated out of Winter Haven, which moved large amounts of drugs from Mexico, through Los Angeles and into the Winter Haven using checked luggage in commercial airlines. Overall, the investigation seized 268 pounds of meth as well as 6.8 ounces of fentanyl and 48 firearms. We seized 20 firearms during this investigation, including rifles, shotguns, handguns, and three stolen guns. Meers was on federal probation for drug trafficking at the time of her arrest. During the investigation, Stanton, from within the federal prison in Atlanta, coordinated and arranged with undercover detectives the purchase and delivery of approximately 26 pounds of methamphetamine from Georgia to Polk County, Florida. They were willing to send it here, he said. Approximately 2.4 pounds of marijuana (street value: approximately $7,000) Copyright 2023 ClickOrlando.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Judd added that not all of the drugs were destined for our area, but that members of the Juarez and Sinaloa drug cartels had expressed interest in setting up a central Florida hub for distribution. Judd emphasized the connections of the trafficking ring to the Juarez drug cartel, one of Mexicos most established crime organizations. The operation began Jan. 14, when federal agents intercepted a shipment of generic Xanax in New York, Judd said. His criminal history includes 11 arrests in Georgia to include charges of DUI, trafficking in methamphetamine, willful obstruction of law enforcement, and driving without a license. Trafficking in methamphetamine (F1) The primary drug trafficking broker operated from a federal prison in Georgia. On Tuesday, detectives searched another one of his residences, 2245 5thSt.NE in Winter Haven, and found large amounts of illegal narcotics, along with scales and paraphernalia, and two firearms a 12-gauge shotgun and a 9mm handgun. Methamphetamine destroys lives, degrades communities, and ruins families. HSI agents and local Georgia law enforcement officers served search warrants at 8 locations in Georgia, arrested 3, and seized 1,416 pounds of crystalized and liquid methamphetamine. Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. They didnt so much as throw a pair of underwear in the suitcase to act like they were hiding the drugs. May 3, 2021 / 12:45 PM / CW44 Tampa Bay. Possession of marijuana with intent to sell (F3) Detectives said three suspects told them they receive government assistance. Snitch List: Snitches, Rats, and Informants - Cop Blaster: Police But it does not stop there. 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