He said he knew the older boy was missing, but not the younger teen, Faison said. He was arrested and charged with trafficking cocaine. I was with him almost every day during that time and knew the full cast of characters. Stock Island Residents: Fisherman Paco Novalas, 23, 221 Stock Island ApartmentsConstruction worker Ralph Jesus Valdez, 37, 5 SunshineSt.Richard Lee Mungin, 37, No. The Big Coppitt cowboys were the most successful. of cocaine valued at over 1.5 million dollars floating in the #FloridaKeys. WebA major drug operation in the Keys was disrupted Friday, leading to the arrest of six people on multiple drug-related charges. 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. Here's One Way to Pay Off Your Debt, Check Your Change! Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. Two men and a woman were arrested on multiple drug violations. Coral joined the Monroe County Sheriffs Office this past fall, and it wasnt long before she was racking up drug busts. WebFLORIDA KEYS, Fla. (WSVN) The Monroe County Sheriffs Office carried out a drug bust. Then a Florida Keys condo leader was arrested Updated January 30, 2023 5:55 PM . 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. If you need help with the Public File, call (954) 364-2526. It was a routine bust.. Thompson said the 4 a.m. drug bust culminated a four week investigation involving members of the Marathon sheriffs sub-station, U.S. Customs and the Marine Patrol. Big Pine 29 Bust 1980 BigPineKey.com The 29s lawyer knew about the smuggle. Amanda Batchelor, Digital Executive Producer. mso-para-margin-left:0in; By Citizen Staff. The attorney general says cartels only care about profit and power. He said then that he had gone to get his brother Sergio, 40. Whoever loaned his van or truck to a smuggler didnt even have to be there to make $10,000. Deputies found the Taurus inside a fanny pack located in the back seat. The suspects could face multiple charges ranging from conspiracy and trafficking to racketeer influenced corrupt organization (RICO). Among those arrested at a marijuana off-loading site on Big Pine Key were several familiar Key West names including Nelson Jamardo, better known as Ping Ping; Francisco Hernandez, 58, a former fireman for the Navy and now a watch engineer at the City Electric System; Antonio Tony Hernandez, 50, owner of David Electric; Manuel Sanchez, 57, salesman at Sears; and Domingo Galvan, 44, a registered nurse employed at DePoo Memorial Doctors Hospital. Nelson (Ping-Ping) Jamarado, 41, the wiry, bearded former boat mechanic who early this year bought a share of Bevis-Lewis Chevrolet Inc. of Key West. 2: Drug Bust at Haulover Marina. The confiscated vehicles are expected to be valued in the thousands of dollars. Monroe County sheriffs deputies pulled over his four-door Mercedes around 1 a.m. Friday behind the Seagrapes Apartment complex at 7155 Overseas Highway. The Smith and Wesson was in the center console of the car, Faison said. X-NONE Copyright 2022 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. Deputies drove him to the COVID-19 checkpoint at mile marker 112.5 on U.S. 1, where his parents picked him up, Linhardt said. Nearly $80,000 worth of drugs found along coast of Florida Keys Detectives also found more $1,700 in cash, a handgun, and what appeared to be a pipe bomb, to which the Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad responded. 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. table.MsoNormalTable Cash in the amount of more than $1,000 was seized as well. A massive drug bust has placed a dozen people behind bars after a drug home in New Smyrna Beach has been on deputies radar for months, they say. The tension and violence in the air was awful for a hippy like me. Ruff arrest: K9 busts alleged drug trafficker in Florida Keys - WPLG Mastermind behind largest meth seizure in Polk history was mso-para-margin-top:0in; 29 out of 31 is a pretty good scorefor only 5 men against 32 armed smugglers! #news pic.twitter.com/rUf0Etk61f. Drug smuggling really took hold and changed lifestyles in the Florida Keys in the 1970s and 80s. The sheriffs department already has more than 1,100 bales of pot stored in 16 vehicles under armed guards just outside Freemans office window. These werent Saturday night specials, the deputy, said. it wasnt long before she was racking up drug busts. Authorities said several rolled bills containing a powdery substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamines were found inside of the BMW. Become a member to support the independent voice of South Florida They were expensive guns. At Least two, he said, had satin steel finish with pearl handles. Florida Keys traffic stop turns into guns and drugs bust | Miami Herald Horace Calhoun, Clarence Moore, Jr. and Shamichael Johnson were all at the apartment and taken into custody. Based on anonymous tips, Customs, Sheriffs Department and Marine Patrol aircraft began watching the Big Pine Key area, officials said. Normal A police K-9 sniffed out more than six ounces of cocaine inside a car during a traffic stop. (U.S. Border Patrol) MONROE COUNTY, Fla. Within just five days, nearly $80,000 worth of drugs have been discovered The unloaders of the pot were young Cuban men and were caught milling around Long Beach Road where there are no Cubansnormally seen. In all, 30 people were charged in U.S. District Courtwith drug trafficking. Because the defendants were charged in federal court instead Circuit Court, Customs took the marijuana to Miami saving the sheriffs department the burden of storing it. Danielle2.5 Tons Pot250,000 Quaaludes1979, Officers Mark Walker and Doug Smith Sugarloaf Key 1980. Letters to the editor with pictures since 2002. Harry, what you doing here? the other man queried. The driver was a 43-year-old man from Miami. line-height:115%; A man going out on the smugglers mother ship could make a quick $100,000. They also took at least a half dozen guns, including several satin steel, pearl-handled handguns, and a replica of a Colt .45. 4 Sloans Trailer ParkJuan Manuel Venegas, 29, 837 Eighth Ave.Fisherman Michael Patrick OBrien, 22, 216 LincolnGardens. The woman in the front seat was not arrested, nor was the 15-year-old. A very special thanks to Major Monty Seals who ran theoperation. 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. Agents of the Sheriffs Department, the U.S. CustomsService and the Florida Marine Patrol culminated amonth-long investigation at 4 a.m., seizing three boats,three trucks and a gold Cadillac. I never heard about any girlfriend of the lawyers disappearing as another other rumor that is floating thirty years later claims. Deputies said they knew Howard had warrants out for her arrest for drug trafficking, and as they were pulling her over they realized that her vehicle was being followed by a Lexus. Monroe County K9 busts 3 more for drugs during traffic stop - WPLG These people were very organized and were selling lots of drugs, he said. false One suspect was in the U.S. illegally. The 30 suspects surrendered peacefully. A police K-9 sniffed out more than six ounces of cocaine inside a car during a traffic stop. mso-style-noshow:yes; font-size:11.0pt; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; ~Editor. The law caught on fast and the days of the cowboys didnt last much longer. Authorities said it the mostdefendants in a single Keys bust and among the most everin any Florida bust. Colorful pills drive new warnings about deadliest drug in the US. I was just a hanger-on, not a player. Colonel Rick Ramsay, who was there when the searches were conducted, said this was a large drug sales operation. However, he dreaded the prospect of storing the marijuana. Dozens of them were taken into custody and bused to prison, including the six alleged ringleaders. tons of seized cocaine, marijuana worth over Published on Big Pine Keys garbage days, Tuesdays and Fridays. As lawmen gathered near the off-loading site on the bayside of Big Pine Key, a Customs agent was approached by one of the alleged offenders. WebThe U.S. Coast Guard announced Thursday that it was offloading a record-shattering amount of cocaine and marijuana at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 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. Fifteen agents from three agencies seized 25,000 poundsof marijuana in the pre-dawn bust on Big Pine Key. A police K-9 sniffed out more than six ounces of cocaine inside a car during a traffic stop. Tawana Blackman and Leroy Lawson were arrested at that location. Robert Brown, a convicted felon, along with The individual noticed a large black bundle wrapped in tape & contacted local authorities. Agents seized 48 pounds of fentanyl and more than 350 pounds of methamphetamines. 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. Square Grouper is not an un-hip fish. Inside the bag, deputies found 37 liquid marijuana cartridges used for vaping. A major drug operation in the Keys was disrupted Friday, leading to the arrest of six people on multiple drug-related charges. The drugnet, in addition to the arrests, resulted in the confiscation of approximately 500 bales of marijuana; two T-Craft boats; a 40-foot Lobster boat, Miss Lucy out of Marathon; two closed body trucks, a 1980 van, a pickup truck and a 1979 Cadillac. Sergio Galvan was arrested Saturday, too. Detectives said the organization was obtaining large quantities of drugs from overseas and distributing them throughout Brevard County, which is about 50 miles east of Orlando. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Same as you, waiting, the agent responded. false During the wait, the lobby at the department filled with relatives, friends of the arrested men and interested on-lookers. Copyright 2023 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. Police in Florida arrested two men this week after discovering large amounts of cash, marijuana, and illegally harvested lobsters in their vehicle. FDOT Gives Update on Project's Progress, Credit Card Balances Reach New Record High. #breakingnews #florida. At the 11th avenue location, detectives found Marijuana, Oxycontin, crack cocaine, drug paraphernalia and another handgun. Ingesting as little as 0.25 milligrams can be fatal. Before joining the Herald, he covered Congress, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy in Washington, D.C. Marathon Residents:Edward Ronan, 57, Tarpon LodgeRafael Francisco Lopez, 42, P.O. Now is the time to talk to your loved ones, especially children. Another was a miniature (three inches long) replica of the old Colt 45. Miami man arrested, charged with trafficking cocaine in Florida Book captures Keys' drug-running heyday Whos there, the agent was asked in Spanish. Officers also found more than $3,000 in cash. The bag contained 25 bricks of cocaine. That was one of the scariest nights I ever had. KEY 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 says. 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. 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. mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; He was arrested on charges of possession of cocaine with the intent to sell, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of drug paraphernalia. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. drug bust Florida Keys - Miami Herald The only person who listed at out-of-state address wasNorman Lee Young, 30, 110 Gum Tree Rd., Hilton Head,S.C. From the Key WestCitizen November 14,1980BySheila Quickstad Citizen Staff Writer. - A major drug bust led deputies to 120 gallons of liquid meth being transported in buckets by suspects from Georgia to Florida, overseen by a "mastermind" who ran the operation from federal prison, officials said Thursday. Geiger Key Resident: Jamardo, 10 Egret Lane, Key West Residents: Francisco Hernandez, 3000 Flagler Ave.Antonio Hernandez, 1803 Atlantic Blvd.Sergio Galvan, 373E Paula St.Domingo Galvan, 1612 United St.Richard Allen Shank, 3533 Flagler Ave.Manuel Sanchez, 1122 Watson St.Antonio Sanchez, 1803 Atlantic Blvd. This story was originally published May 22, 2020, 8:40 PM. He plans to break records, These Florida spots, one in the Keys, made the best beaches list. EN-US 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. Miami, FL 33141 Several weapons were also found at the scene. Whats that smell in the Florida Keys? 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. Dyer is Howards boyfriend, according to the sheriffs office. The estimated value of the marijuana was listed at $2 million. Staly adds there are a lot of undercover operations in the county and you will eventually get caught. Because of that the cops got a tip off that there was an pot unloading operation going on. If youre a druggie driving U.S. 1 through the Florida Keys and youre pulled over, the last thing you want to hear is the Monroe County Sheriffs Department call in backup in the form of the K-9 crew, specifically the drug-sniffing two-year-old Golden Retriever named Coral. Join the New Times community and help support "Several of the suspects arrested today were arrested previously in this investigation for drug related charges and were released after posting lowered bonds.". Authorities said additional deputies were called to the scene along with K9 Coral, who alerted them to drugs in the Lexus and BMW. "I been to the border twice, so I saw how it's coming in. Monroe County Sheriffs Office deputies were praising K9 Coral on Tuesday. FLORIDA KEYS, Fla. (WSVN) The Monroe County Sheriffs Office carried out a drug bust. They will be turned over to the sheriff for disposal, either by sale or for use in his department. Crime WSVN-TVSunbeam Television Corp Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com. WebRobertson & Hunter, LLP 501 Whitehead St., Ste. David Goodhue covers the Florida Keys and South Florida for FLKeysNews.com and the Miami Herald. Florida authorities arrested three suspects and seized more than 11 pounds of fentanyl as part of an undercover drug trafficking bust. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? "Twenty-four suspects were arrested but one gang member remains at large: 39-year-old Efren Berumen from Kissimmee, Florida. 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 Key West woman faces drug trafficking and possession charges after a bust that was assisted by K9 cop Coral, the Monroe County Sheriffs Office says. (The-CNN-Wire & 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. /* Style Definitions */ Huff is being held on $2.5 million bond, while both Walker and Wilborn are being held on just over $900,000 bond. and help keep the future of New Times, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our. The illegal Jamarado 50, the owner of David Electric Inc., an electrical contractor that frequently wins large contracts with Monroe County and the city of Key West. ; Ralph Jesus Valdez, 37, No. The Holiday Inn doesnt check as many people in and out a day as I do. the sheriff mused as he, members of the press and Public Information Officer Sgt. WebAt age 71, this Florida Keys man is working steady in the drug-dealing game, police say. Florida Keys Drug Arrests | Robertson & Hunter, LLP Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody announced the arrest of a massive violent gang operation in Florida linked to a Mexican drug cartel. ; Paco Novalas, 23, 221 Stock Island Apts. Plumber Fermin Tapia, 41, of 1701 Jamaica Dr.Vicente Jose Martinez, 36, 3817 Northside Ct.Fisherman Enrique Blasco, 19, 1504 Laird St.Two Friends Fish Co. fishermen Jose Monzon Garcia, 44,Key West Villas No. 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. "Arrest warrants were issued for each of the 100 suspects who have been identified throughout the course of the investigation as sources or distributors of these deadly drugs," the sheriff's office said in a statement. A detour to the Customs incinerators in Miami is probable. There were kidnappings among that crowd, but that is another story and has nothing to do with this one. At age 71, this Florida Keys man is working steady in the drug-dealing game, police say. mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; On foot and in boats, law officers surprised the smugglers, shutting off their escape by land and sea. The guns ranged from .45 caliber automatics to .25 calibre automatics. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said a long-term drug investigation took down a major drug distribution ring in Jacksonville consisting of 27 arrests. WebA Florida Keys man was pulled over by Monroe County sheriffs deputies, who said they found a lot of marijuana, several handguns and two runaways from Miami-Dade County. One of the bales hadapparentlybroken open, one officer said, and had been patched with a Colombian newspaper. "We must have strict enforcement for these dealers and treatment for those who have become addicted.. WebDrugs seized by the U.S. Border Patrol in Monroe County. Marathon couple charged with possession in drug bust MONROE COUNTY, Fla. Within just five days, nearly $80,000 worth of drugs have been discovered along the coastline in the Florida Keys, the U.S. Border Patrol in Miami announced Thursday. Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. At that point the two came face to face and the alleged smuggler, cried, Al, mi madre, the police.. The drugs had an estimated street value of at least $181,000, according to the office. A man in a smaller boat could clear maybe $40,000. The most famous of these were the Big Coppitt cowboys, a lose group of guys with fast boats and police scanners. Freeman said he was eager to gain title to the smuggling vehicles for his department. The two closed body trucks, both painted white, were former Sears vehicles, authorities said. RELATED: What is rainbow fentanyl? K9 Coral with drugs seized during March 15 traffic stop. Deputies ran a check on their names and found out they were runaways from Dade, Faison said. Authorities said it the most defendants in a single Keys bust and among the most ever in any Florida bust. The long process known as coking in police language continued into the evening hours Saturday at the Monroe County Sheriffs Department 30 men rounded up during a pre-dawn marijuana bust were being questioned by officials. The canine deputy joined the department about three months ago and on Monday she caught yet another suspected drug dealer. 0 Oct 23, 2020. Francisco Hernandez, 58, an engineer for the Key West City Electric System and a former civilian fire fighter at the Key West Naval Air Station. K9 Coral assisted in the arrest of a Key West woman who faces drug trafficking and possession charges. Two teenage boys, ages 15 and 17, were sitting in the backseat.

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