AG Moody's Florida Agents Shut Down Another Fentanyl Trafficking Ring – Florida

(The Center Square) – A multi-agency operation led by Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd's office has crippled another fentanyl trafficking ring, this time in Lakeland, Florida.

This follows another successful drug bust announced by Judd in April after investigators dismantled a Mexican drug trafficking organization operating across multiple states. Through that organization, they seized the largest amount of fentanyl in the county's history — enough to kill a third of the state's population, The Center Square reported.

The last operation, Operation Rooske, lasted three years and resulted in the arrest of 64 people. Investigators discovered that the drug trafficking organization was run out of two small businesses, a fish and bait store and a motorcycle shop. The drugs were then sold and distributed throughout Polk and Osceola counties.

Operation Rooske began in January 2021, when investigators initially thought they were investigating a small-time street dealer. They quickly realized the suspected traffickers were “producing between 500 and 1,000 bags” of 2/10 grams of fentanyl, Judd said at a news conference Friday.

He held up a small bag of flour about the size of a dime to illustrate the amount of fentanyl being sold. As a result of their investigation, they seized enough fentanyl to kill 371,000 Floridians.

“Essentially, this fentanyl trafficking organization was the family business,” Judd said. “The motorcycle shop and the bait shop were corrupt businesses that served as a means of money laundering. Their clients were not involved; they had no idea what was happening. In fact, the owners tried to project a healthy facade while running their criminal enterprise behind the scenes until it all came crashing down on them, thanks to the fantastic work of our detectives.

The sheriff's office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Attorney General Ashley Moody's Office of Statewide Prosecution were involved in the investigation.

PCSO Organized Crime Unit detectives and FDLE special agents made several undercover purchases of fentanyl from bait and motorcycle parts stores. They were able to build a case and ultimately arrest the man they called the leader of the organization, a 43-year-old Lakeland resident whose main co-conspirators were his wife and daughter.

On June 20, six search warrants were executed in Polk and Osceola counties, resulting in investigators seizing more than 742 grams of fentanyl, more than 13 grams of methamphetamine, and more than 228 grams of marijuana, with a combined street value of more than $475,000. They also seized property valued at more than $600,000.

“While most of the arrests involved buyers of illegal drugs from the Rooske organization, detectives used these arrests to trace the organization and build a case against them,” the sheriff's office said.

Investigators found that the group typically sold small amounts of drugs to avoid detection. They also used “counter-surveillance techniques,” including installing cameras outside their homes and businesses, using multiple cell phones and changing the location of their drug transactions, investigators found.

Moody's office charged nine defendants with counts of racketeer-influenced and corrupt organizations, conspiracy to commit RICO and trafficking in fentanyl, among other charges.

“Florida leads the nation in fentanyl seizures, and this case is yet another example of how Sheriff Grady Judd and his deputies are leaders in removing deadly drugs from our streets,” Moody said. “Working with Polk County deputies and the FDLE, we were able to seize 742 grams of fentanyl in two counties. That's enough poison to kill 371,000 Floridians, and I'm confident this drug operation saved lives. »

His office is prosecuting nine cases, with the remaining cases in the Single Judicial Circuit being handled by the local state's attorney, his office said.

Judd announced the results of his investigation a week after Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood announced the results of a major drug bust in Volusia and Putnam counties, The Center Square reported.

That came after another multi-agency effort dismantled a border-linked human trafficking ring operating in Manatee and Hillsborough counties, The Center Square reported.