Amanda Batchelor, Digital Executive Producer. WebTwo men and a woman were arrested on multiple drug violations. He plans to break records, These Florida spots, one in the Keys, made the best beaches list. 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. Switchboard: (305) 751-6692 Its coming from Cuba, weather forecasters say, Body found floating in channel off Key West, Monroe County Sheriffs Office says, A coconut tree farm caught fire in South Miami-Dade. 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. 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. "It is enough to kill 66 out of the 67 counties' population here in Florida," Moody said at the Tampa Bay Regional Operational Center alongside Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents. All content Copyright 2000 - 2023 WSVN-TV. Several larger weapons were found in the car and in the area. WebDeputies arrested a 46-year-old Key West woman on multiple drug charges after a traffic stop on Big Pine Key yielded a litany of pills, FLORIDA KEYS. 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 three alleged organizational leaders were identified as Brandon Huff, 35, and Jonathan Walker, 42, both of Cocoa, and Megan Wilborn, 31, of Merritt Island. mso-para-margin-top:0in; She's just a few weeks into her job with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office. Inside the bag, deputies found 37 liquid marijuana cartridges used for vaping. The 30 persons arrested were booked at the Monroe County Jail and questioned before being sent to a U.S. magistrate for bond hearings Saturday night. Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. The individual noticed a large black bundle wrapped in tape & contacted local authorities. RELATED: Deadly dupes: Nationwide spike in mass-overdoses, teen deaths due to fentanyl-laced drugs, DEA says. So the cartels in Mexico are very good about marketing," Staly said. 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 He said he knew the older boy was missing, but not the younger teen, Faison said. These people were very organized and were selling lots of drugs, he said. In all, 30 people were charged in U.S. District Courtwith drug trafficking. They successfully evacuated the building, removed and destroyed the device. Gwen Filosa covers Key West and the Lower Florida Keys for FLKeysNews.com and the Miami Herald and lives in Key West. mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; #breakingnews #florida. The unloaders of the pot were young Cuban men and were caught milling around Long Beach Road where there are no Cubansnormally seen. Deputies say her Toyota Camry had expired tags and that Coral then alerted to drugs in the car. See what the rescue teams saw, Retired Navy officer enters Florida Keys undersea lodge. Crime Monroe County sheriffs deputies pulled over his four-door Mercedes around 1 a.m. Friday behind the Seagrapes Apartment complex at 7155 Overseas Highway. She graduated from Indiana University. David Goodhue covers the Florida Keys and South Florida for FLKeysNews.com and the Miami Herald. Its coming from Cuba, weather forecasters say, Body found floating in channel off Key West, Monroe County Sheriffs Office says, A coconut tree farm caught fire in South Miami-Dade. One of the bales hadapparentlybroken open, one officer said, and had been patched with a Colombian newspaper. In January she also was credited with helping catch a suspected cocaine dealer. Copyright 2021 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. The most famous of these were the Big Coppitt cowboys, a lose group of guys with fast boats and police scanners. mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; Stock Island Residents: Fisherman Paco Novalas, 23, 221 Stock Island ApartmentsConstruction worker Ralph Jesus Valdez, 37, 5 SunshineSt.Richard Lee Mungin, 37, No. He is a graduate of the University of Delaware. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 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. Some of the many boats confiscated during the smuggling days and their captured loads are shown below. K9 Coral with drugs seized during March 15 traffic stop. The 104 arrest warrants concluded a months-long investigation by the Brevard County Sheriff's Office into an organization suspected of "distributing kilogram quantities" of heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl -- a synthetic opioid that can be up to 100 times more powerful than morphine, police said. Harry, what you doing here? the other man queried. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Robert Brown, a convicted felon, along with Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com. Become a member to support the independent voice of South Florida One suspect was in the U.S. illegally. The 17-year-old was clutching a backpack, according to the report. 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. A police K-9 sniffed out more than six ounces of cocaine inside a car during a traffic stop. 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. The 30 suspects surrendered peacefully. X-NONE 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. #BorderPatrol agents have responded to multiple drug washups & seized approx. Copyright 2021 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. The law caught on fast and the days of the cowboys didnt last much longer. Ingesting as little as 0.25 milligrams can be fatal. Police arrested 100 suspects and seized enough drugs to wipe out a large county. Other charges, such as possession of a concealed weapon by several defendants, were pending. 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. Dealers are also disguising the drugs to look like candy. At the 11th avenue location, detectives found Marijuana, Oxycontin, crack cocaine, drug paraphernalia and another handgun. Amanda Batchelor, Digital Executive Producer. Both vehicles were pulled over between Mile Markers 32 and 33. 1401 79th Street Causeway Florida Gov. Deputies ran a check on their names and found out they were runaways from Dade, Faison said. Nelson Alvarez-Bermudez, of Big Coppitt Key, was jailed Thursday after the Monroe County Sheriffs Offices SWAT team, along with state and federal agents, found him at home at about 6:40 a.m. and served a warrant. Published on Big Pine Keys garbage days, Tuesdays and Fridays. A detour to the Customs incinerators in Miami is probable. However, he dreaded the prospect of storing the marijuana. mso-para-margin-left:0in; 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. 29. Courtesy U.S. Coast Guard Last week the U.S. Coast Guard seized what it Over the years, illegal drugs lots of them have been seized or discovered off Florida's shorelines. Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. 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. 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. We cannot allow these drugs and the criminals who peddle them to poison our communities and destroy lives," DeSantis said in a statement Wednesday. Cash in the amount of more than $1,000 was seized as well. 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. The attorney general says cartels only care about profit and power. RELATED: What is rainbow fentanyl? The presence of the Sooth Carolina man led officials to speculate that that was the destination of the contraband. "But if you are a poison peddler, and you kill someone in Flagler County, we are going to investigate you for first-degree murder, and we already have four people sitting in state prison for killing someone for selling the lethal dose," Staly said. 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. independent local journalism in Miami. I hoped I could talk my way out of there. false 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. The illegal FDOT Gives Update on Project's Progress, Credit Card Balances Reach New Record High. Two men and a woman were arrested on multiple drug violations. Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com. They were charged with trafficking in marijuana, possession of over 2,000 pounds of marijuana and conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance. FLORIDA KEYS, Fla. (WSVN) The Monroe County Sheriffs Office carried out a drug bust. Agents seized 48 pounds of fentanyl and more than 350 pounds of methamphetamines. Brandy Victoria Gesell, 38, was arrested after a traffic stop Thursday night on Big Pine Key. I was with him at breakfast that morning when he had to leave Mister Jims Restaurant when he heard about the bust on US1 Radio while it was playing in the background. WFTV Detectives said the organization Web2:09 PM EST, Wed February 24, 2021. A police K-9 sniffed out more than six ounces of cocaine inside a car during a traffic stop. The situation changed dramatically as Forbes tried to run away after a deputy found a suspicious package during a pat down. 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.