More than 60 people were arrested in connection with a significant fentanyl bust in Polk County, but the opioid epidemic affects far more than just one county.
According to state law enforcement officials, Florida is a hub for fentanyl networking. Last week, search warrants were carried out by Polk County deputies at the north Lakeland locations of Rooske’s Bait Shop and Rooske Motorcycle Parts and Repair Shop.
Pilar Rivera and Hector Torres operated the enterprises, according to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, using them as a front for money laundering and fentanyl trafficking.
“When we started this on January 12, 2021, we were working the street and all of a sudden our detectives said oh my gosh, these folks are cracking out 500 to 1,000 bags of this a day in Lakeland from this one operation,” Judd stated.
However, they quickly discovered the business was far larger. According to the sheriff, it went beyond county boundaries and resulted in 64 arrests.
“We see two names in red here. This drug killed at least two people from fentanyl overdose,” Judd stated.
Our towns in Tampa Bay have been overtaken by fentanyl, whose network is extensive.
It originates in Mexico. Much of it is originating in Sinaloa. It is approaching California. Judd ascribed the flow of fentanyl through the Los Angeles airport to its distribution.
Not just Polk County is experiencing the effects.
“Fentanyl is flooding the streets of the United States. And there’s an increase in overdose deaths and it’s continuing to increase,” according to Deanne Reuter, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Miami Field Division, who spoke at the news conference for Tampa police’s Operation Overdrive on May 7.
More Stories Related to Fentanyl Trafficking in Florida:
- Four Charged in Connection with Fentanyl Overdose Death of Florida College Student: DOJ
- Florida AG Announces 27-Year Sentence for Tampa Bay Fentanyl Trafficker
- Jacksonville Man Convicted: Selling Meth and Fentanyl from Local Car Wash
Narcan use and overdose deaths decreased after Tampa police assisted in the busting of a drug trafficking ring last month.
The job is not finished yet. The outcomes of a state program aimed at fentanyl in its first year were presented by state investigators.
According to Mark Brutnell, the special agent in charge of the FDLE’s Tampa site, “We’ve seized over 37 kilos of fentanyl, 30,000 fentanyl pills, 55 kilos of cocaine, 20 kilograms of methamphetamine, almost $500,000 in currency seized.”
As part of the State Assistance for Fentanyl Eradication (SAFE) effort, Brutnell mentioned their work. Regarding the numbers to remove fentanyl from our streets, he stated Polk County is a significant component.
