At age 71, this Florida Keys man is working steady in the drug-dealing game, police say. /* Style Definitions */ Miami, FL 33141 Florida Gov. The illegal Record drug bust: $1.4 billion worth of cocaine and marijuana And a Monroe County commissioner and well-known Florida Keys businessman has died after a battle with COVID-19, friends confirmed. Fentanyl, often used to lace other drugs, is considered the deadliest drug in America, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The investigation started a month ago. K9 Coral assisted in the arrest of a Key West woman who faces drug trafficking and possession charges. Hes in county jail on Stock Island, and his bond information was not immediately available. Miami man arrested, charged with trafficking cocaine in Florida Feds charge Florida Keys woman and Homestead man with dealing Dealers are also disguising the drugs to look like candy. In all, 30 people were charged in U.S. District Courtwith drug trafficking. Deputies said they found Alvarez-Bermudez in possession of 22.7 grams of cocaine more than three-quarters of an ounce along with $10,182 cash they suspect came from illicit drug sales. On Wednesday, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody announced the arrest of a massive violent gang operation in Florida linked to a Mexican drug cartel, WESH reported. and help keep the future of New Times, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our. man arrested, charged with trafficking cocaine in Florida Keys Several weapons were also found at the scene. He is a graduate of the University of Delaware. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. EN-US Slosar said Good Samaritans stumbled upon the drugs and notified authorities. He plans to break records, These Florida spots, one in the Keys, made the best beaches list. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com. Big Pine 29 Bust 1980 BigPineKey.com Reed Bryan Bell, 55, of Islamorada, was also arrested on a charge of possession of a controlled substance and Markus Dyer, 31, of Big Pine Key, was arrested on charges of trafficking in heroin, trafficking in methamphetamines, possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Jul 17, 2021. She was part of the staff at the New Orleans Times-Picayune that in 2005 won two Pulitzer Prizes for coverage of Hurricane Katrina. Over the years, illegal drugs lots of them have been seized or discovered off Florida's shorelines. Contact Us CAKEGATE 2023: Bad Bunny's Restaurant Accused of Gobbling Birthday Girl's Cake, Neighborhood Nazi Jon Minadeo Peddles Hate by the Minute, Affordable New "Micro-Units" Slated for Little River, Edgewater, Sen. Rubio's Permanent Daylight Savings Bill Sees Light of Day Once More, NFL Legend Ray Lewis Joins World Jai-Alai League Board of Directors. A 71-year-old Keys drug dealer was busted, police said - Miami He said then that he had gone to get his brother Sergio, 40. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Several larger weapons were found in the car and in the area. 6 to Know: Drug Bust at Haulover Marina, Search - NBC 6 South Monroe County Sheriff's Office reports the Sheriff's (U.S. Border Patrol) MONROE COUNTY, Fla. Within just five days, nearly $80,000 worth of drugs have been discovered In addition to charges of possession of more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana trafficking and conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance, which were filed against all 30 defendants, charges of carrying concealed weapons were still pending against several of the men. Fifteen agents from three agencies seized 25,000 poundsof marijuana in the pre-dawn bust on Big Pine Key. WebFLORIDA KEYS, Fla. (WSVN) The Monroe County Sheriffs Office carried out a drug bust. 29. Sergio Galvan was arrested Saturday, too. Galvan returned from Cuba aboard the Blanchie III and was the first Cuban-American to announce that Cuba had opened the harbor to the Freedom Flotilla. The 17-year-old was clutching a backpack, according to the report. Authorities said it the most defendants in a single Keys bust and among the most ever in any Florida bust. pic.twitter.com/ih10AhQAlx. Freeman said he was eager to gain title to the smuggling vehicles for his department. Ruff arrest: K9 busts alleged drug trafficker in Florida Keys - WPLG I was with five of the 29 the night before in the lawyers Eden Pines home (the lawyer wasnt there) snorting coke, smoking pot and drinking booze and trying to get out of there with my ass in one piece. The tension and violence in the air was awful for a hippy like me. Officers also found more than $3,000 in cash. This is a very small list of vessels confiscated by Major Seals Agents in just one or two years during the heyday of Keys pot smuggling. If you need help with the Public File, call (954) 364-2526. A man in a smaller boat could clear maybe $40,000. line-height:115%; The canine deputy joined the department about three months ago and on Monday she caught yet another suspected drug dealer. Richard Allen Shank, 31, who drives a Pepsi Cola delivery truck in Key West. Border Patrol officials ask the public to report any suspicious activity by calling their toll free number 1-877-772-8146. The Big Coppitt cowboys were the most successful. Last week the U.S. Coast Guard seized what it deemed to be. The drugs had an estimated street value of at least $181,000, according to the office. If you need help with the Public File, call (954) 364-2526. WebA South Florida man and woman each face more than 60 years in federal prison after being charged with multiple drug dealing counts last week. I never heard about any girlfriend of the lawyers disappearing as another other rumor that is floating thirty years later claims. WebPolice in the Florida Keys arrested two men this week after discovering large amounts of cash, drugs, and illegally harvested lobsters in their vehicle. mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar confirmed that agents have responded to numerous drug wash-ups since the start of the month, seizing about 27 pounds of marijuana and three pounds of cocaine. FLORIDA KEYS, Fla. (WSVN) The Monroe County Sheriffs Office carried out a drug bust. Coral joined the Monroe County Sheriffs Office this past fall, and it wasnt long before she was racking up drug busts. WebRobertson & Hunter, LLP 501 Whitehead St., Ste. Colorful pills drive new warnings about deadliest drug in the US. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. 0 A 35-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman were arrested following a search of their residence {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; Pacheco told cops the gun belonged to the 17-year-old, who was also arrested and turned over to juvenile justice authorities, Adam Linhardt, sheriffs office spokesman, said. Over 100 arrested in massive Florida drug bust after months The suspects were identified by authorities as Misty Marie Howard, 39, of Big Pine Key, who had a warrant for trafficking in heroin, trafficking in methamphetamines and possession of a controlled substance. Its like a big family reunion with five or sixfamilies, said another officer, gazing at the crowd ofkin that included two defendants in this yearscelebrated Key West Cop Case. The guns ranged from .45 caliber automatics to .25 calibre automatics. Law enforcement arrests 83 people in David Goodhue covers the Florida Keys and South Florida for FLKeysNews.com and the Miami Herald. font-size:11.0pt; Same as you, waiting, the agent responded. A traffic stop on a Mercedes Benz driving with no lights on early Friday morning turned into a much bigger deal for the driver after Florida Keys deputies said they found a large amount of marijuana, two guns and two runaways from Miami-Dade County in the car. Horace Calhoun, Clarence Moore, Jr. and Shamichael Johnson were all at the apartment and taken into custody. Florida Copyright 2022 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. 27 lbs of marijuana & 3 lbs of cocaine. Deputy Megan Faison wrote in her report that she asked a 22-year-old female passenger in the front seat to roll her window all the way down so he could safely look inside the car, since it had dark tinted windows. Mastermind behind largest meth seizure in Polk history was By Citizen Staff. There was the time in the 1970s when square grouper was code for a bale of marijuana that was thrown overboard when the water cops showed up. Miami was snubbed, Florida Keys firefighter arrested after deputies say she beat her wife outside a bar, Human smuggling, a truck and a school bus: A Broward child rapist goes back behind bars. 5 Sunshine St., Stock Island; Orlando Vidal Maldonado, 42, Miami; Norman Lee Young, 30, Hilton Head, S.C.; Sergio Edward Galvan, 40, 3738 Paula Ave.; Richard Allen Shank, 31, 3533 Flagler Ave., route man for Pepsi Cola Miami; Mitchell Earl Noa, 22, Big Pine Key; Carmen Fernandez, 28, Miami, listed employer as Two Friends Inc, Co.; Enrique Blasco, 19, Laird St.; Raul Hernandez Miami, listed as owner Coral Fish Co., Miami; Edward Ronan, 57, Tarpon Lodge, Marathon; Rafael Francisco Lopez, Marathon; Rolando Aguiar 30, Miami; Bernardo L Valiente, 25, Marathon, Michael Patrick OBrien, 216 Lincoln Gardens, Stock Island; Fermin Tapia, 41, Jamaica Dr. (city directory lists same address on P. Avenue as given to authorities by Sergio Galvan); G. Collazo, 25, Marathon; Jose Morzon Garcia, 44, 29, Key West Villas, listed employer as Two Friends Inc, Co.; Catalino Rios Chambrot, 35, Miami; Richard Lee Mungin, 37, Sloan Trailer Park, Stock Island; Angel Cruz, 27, Miami; Juano Manuel Venegas, A37 8th Ave., Stock Island. mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; On Wednesday, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody announced the arrest of a massive violent gang operation in Florida linked to a Mexican drug cartel, WESH reported. Monroe County Sheriffs Office deputies were praising K9 Coral on Tuesday. The site is an isolated lagoon on Florida Bay. We didnt fire a single shot, a Customs agent said. Deputies say her Toyota Camry had expired tags and that Coral then alerted to drugs in the car. All three were arrested and taken to jail. table.MsoNormalTable Deputies checked the car and found 38 more marijuana vaping products, a loaded Taurus .40 caliber handgun, a Smith and Wesson SD40 VE handgun, five 12-gauge shotgun shells, 57 .22 magnum bullets, and one 9 mm bullet, as well as various drug equipment, including rolling papers and a marijuana grinder, according to the report. WebMarathon couple charged with possession in drug bust. ; Ralph Jesus Valdez, 37, No. Nearly $80,000 worth of drugs found along coast of Florida Keys WebKEY WEST, Fla. A Key West woman faces methamphetamine trafficking and other drug charges after a bust that was assisted by K9 cop Coral, the Monroe County Sheriffs Office Big Pine Key Residents:Fisherman Mitchell Earl Noatch, 22, Box 790. Courtesy U.S. Coast Guard Last week the U.S. Coast Guard seized what it These werent Saturday night specials, the deputy, said. WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale, Coral Gables resident still refuses to sell decades-old home surrounded by massive development, Broward County pastor faces several fraud, grand theft charges after defrauding church, Gunman dead after hours-long SWAT standoff at SW Miami-Dade apartment complex, Police: Man fatally shot 3-year-old son, himself inside Coconut Grove condo, Police arrest student who made false bomb threat at Dillard High School; classes resume. WebA drug bust in Florida led to the seizure of enough fentanyl to kill at least 500,000 people, according to the Brevard County Sheriff's Office. WebNo. A very special thanks to Major Monty Seals who ran theoperation. BIG PINE KEY, Fla. Just days after helping bust a woman for drug possession in the Florida Keys, Monroe County Sheriffs Office K9 Coral is at it again. The addresses for those named earlier are Jamardo, Geiger Key; F. Remand 3000 Flagler Ave.; A. Hernandez, 1603 Atlantic Blvd; Sanchez, 1122 Watson St; D. Galvan, 1612 United St. Hes the uncle of County Commissioner Jerry Hernandez and the brother of former Key West police Chief Eugene Hernandez: Manuel Sanchez, 57, manager of the mens department at Key Wests Sears Roebuck & Co. store in Searstown Plaza on North Roosevelt Boulevard, and his brother Antonio, 54, a jewelry salesman. Some of the many boats confiscated during the smuggling days and their captured loads are shown below. Authorities said Bell was driving the Lexus and Dyer was the passenger. One suspect was in the U.S. illegally. In January she also was credited with helping catch a suspected cocaine dealer. Police arrested 100 suspects and seized enough drugs to wipe out a large county. X-NONE The three alleged organizational leaders were identified as Brandon Huff, 35, and Jonathan Walker, 42, both of Cocoa, and Megan Wilborn, 31, of Merritt Island. "I been to the border twice, so I saw how it's coming in. ), Car dealership workers kidnapped, tortured in armed robbery: police, Woman buys new tires that turn out to be 9 years old. There also were grandfathers, a plumber, a power companyengineer, a crewman from the first vessel to arrive inKey West in the Cuban boatlift last March, and thebrother he brought back from Cuba. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The US Coast Guard offloaded more than $500 million worth of cocaine and marijuana in South Florida on Monday. An official confided that at least a half dozen hand guns were taken from the suspects. mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; Authorities confiscated 500 50-pound bales of pot, a 40-foot Marathon-based lobster boat, the Miss Lucy, two trucks, a 1980 Ford van, a Chevy pickup with a camper, a 1979 gold Cadillac and two 24- foot T-craft, boats designed for back-country fishing that arepopularwith smugglers because they can haul huge loads over shallow water at high speed. Deputies ran a check on their names and found out they were runaways from Dade, Faison said. false mso-para-margin-top:0in; The Brevard County Sheriff's Office said investigators uncovered 75 firearms, 9 pounds of methamphetamine, 3 pounds of fentanyl and an undisclosed amount of heroin. The pot that came from a square grouper was called sea weed. Friday night, it became clear they were about to hit pay dirt, and officers added men to their stakeout in a posh neighborhood along a mangrove swamp just north of U.S. 1. They also confiscated 36 pounds of crystal meth, two kilograms of cocaine, over one kilogram of heroin, three kilograms of fentanyl, $108,000 in cash and 21 guns and ammunition - all in just three months. The 30 suspects surrendered peacefully. Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com. WebDrugs seized by the U.S. Border Patrol in Monroe County. A man going out on the smugglers mother ship could make a quick $100,000. Ingesting as little as 0.25 milligrams can be fatal. Crime Amanda Batchelor, Digital Executive Producer. Among the arrested: Domingo F. Galvan, 44, a registered nurse at Key Wests tiny DePoo Memorial Hospital. Florida traffic stop uncovers poached lobsters, drugs Drug smuggling really took hold and changed lifestyles in the Florida Keys in the 1970s and 80s. They were charged with trafficking in marijuana, possession of over 2,000 pounds of marijuana and conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance. WebA major drug operation in the Keys was disrupted Friday, leading to the arrest of six people on multiple drug-related charges. 29 out of 31 is a pretty good scorefor only 5 men against 32 armed smugglers! The lobster boat reportedly was outfitted with sophisticated radar equipment and, as an official described, the biggest engine Ive ever seen. One of the vehicles was said to have a built-in police scanner. A major drug operation in the Keys was disrupted Friday, leading to the arrest of six people on multiple drug-related charges. At the 11th avenue location, detectives found Marijuana, Oxycontin, crack cocaine, drug paraphernalia and another handgun. "We have seen our seizures in Flagler County is up over 500 percent so far this year compared to all of last year," Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said. He was arrested and charged with trafficking cocaine. Florida Keys Drug Arrests | Robertson & Hunter, LLP