Florida AG Moody charges 9 in massive drug trafficking ring

The opioid crisis has ravaged communities across the United States, with fentanyl emerging as one of the deadliest and most prevalent substances fueling this public health emergency.

In a major victory for law enforcement and public safety, the Florida Attorney General's Office spearheaded the dismantling of a vast fentanyl trafficking ring operating in Polk and Osceola Counties .

This coordinated crackdown, led by Attorney General Ashley Moody and her team, resulted in the arrests of 64 people and the indictment of nine key defendants on a range of serious offenses, including racketeering, conspiracy, and fentanyl trafficking.

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The investigation, conducted by the Polk County Sheriff's Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, exposed the complex network of the drug trafficking organization.

Led by Hector Torres, Miguel Castro-Rivera and Luis Delgado, the group had established a sophisticated distribution network, using two legitimate businesses – a fish and bait store and a motorcycle shop – as fronts for their illicit activities.

Through these fronts, the conspirators sold fentanyl and other narcotics, including cocaine, methamphetamine, and oxycodone, throughout the targeted regions.

“Florida leads the nation in fentanyl seizures, and this case is another example of how Sheriff Grady Judd and his deputies are leaders in removing deadly drugs from our streets. Working with Polk County deputies and 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 enforcement operation saved lives,” Moody said.

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The scale of the operation was staggering. During the investigation, authorities were able to seize a staggering 742 grams of fentanyl – enough to potentially kill 371,000 Floridians. In addition to fentanyl, law enforcement also confiscated significant quantities of other illicit substances, including more than 3,500 grams of cocaine, 13 grams of methamphetamine, 57 grams of oxycodone and more than 228 grams of marijuana.

The drug trafficking network used a range of sophisticated tactics to evade detection by law enforcement. He notably used counter-surveillance techniques, such as installing cameras in front of residences and businesses, using multiple cell phones and constantly changing the locations of their drug transactions to keep track of advances on the authorities.

Attorney General Ashley Moody's statewide prosecution office took the lead in prosecuting the nine principal defendants charged in the case.

Torres, Castro-Rivera and Delgado, along with their co-conspirators Pilar Rivera, Wilma Fuentes Laureano, Norberto Otero, Jr., Luis Lopez Torres, Abel Flores and Jeimylee Rivera, face a series of serious criminal charges, including racketeering (RICO), conspiracy to commit RICO and trafficking in fentanyl.

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