Several larger weapons were found in the car and in the area. At the 11th avenue location, detectives found Marijuana, Oxycontin, crack cocaine, drug paraphernalia and another handgun. WSVN-TVSunbeam Television Corp Courtesy U.S. Coast Guard Last week the U.S. Coast Guard seized what it 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. That evil gun-toting bunch of psychopaths scared the hell out of me. On March 21. This page is compiled mostly from Major Seals scrapbook that he wasgraciousenough to share with us. "Twenty-four suspects were arrested but one gang member remains at large: 39-year-old Efren Berumen from Kissimmee, Florida. I hoped I could talk my way out of there. She might be cute. The canine deputy joined the department about three months ago and on Monday she caught yet another suspected drug dealer. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. 1401 79th Street Causeway - 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. FLORIDA KEYS, Fla. (WSVN) The Monroe County Sheriffs Office carried out a drug bust. mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; Horace Calhoun, Clarence Moore, Jr. and Shamichael Johnson were all at the apartment and taken into custody. Authorities said several rolled bills containing a powdery substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamines were found inside of the BMW. 0 The guns ranged from .45 caliber automatics to .25 calibre automatics. One asshole in particular kept spinning the cylinder of his shiny .45 Colt revolver and making up things to accuse me of. "They're also making counterfeit pills that, they're multiple colors laced with fentanyl, so they're marketing to younger and younger people," Staly said. The 29s lawyer knew about the smuggle. Everyones a good friend or family of a number ofpeople. Sheriff William A. Freeman said of thesuspects, who were greeted by about 40 red-eyedrelatives at the Monroe County jail as they were booked. At that point the two came face to face and the alleged smuggler, cried, Al, mi madre, the police.. Colorful pills drive new warnings about deadliest drug in the US. Dozens of them were taken into custody and bused to prison, including the six alleged ringleaders. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? A 35-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman were arrested following a search of their residence Once the windows were down, Faison said she smelled a strong odor of both burnt and fresh marijuana coming from inside the car. Police in Florida arrested two men this week after discovering large amounts of cash, marijuana, and illegally harvested lobsters in their vehicle. 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. In those days the cowboys had faster boats and knew the waters better than the Marine Patrol (except for Officer Mark Walker, the best Marine Patrol Officer anyone has ever seen) so most times they could outrun the law. ~Editor. WFTV Detectives said the organization A police K-9 sniffed out more than six ounces of cocaine inside a car during a traffic stop. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. David Goodhue covers the Florida Keys and South Florida for FLKeysNews.com and the Miami Herald. Join the New Times community and help support Ron DeSantis said the bust marked the biggest drug seizure in the county's history. font-size:11.0pt; Nearly $80,000 worth of drugs discovered along the coastline in the #FloridaKeys since start of May. The cocaine, wrapped up in 25 packages stuffed in a large sack and found off 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. 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. The estimated value of the marijuana was listed at $2 million. WebFLORIDA KEYS, Fla. (WSVN) The Monroe County Sheriffs Office carried out a drug bust. Before joining the Herald, he covered Congress, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy in Washington, D.C. He didnt. Web2:09 PM EST, Wed February 24, 2021. false One of the bales hadapparentlybroken open, one officer said, and had been patched with a Colombian newspaper. Amanda Batchelor, Digital Executive Producer. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. pic.twitter.com/hN3VjDEG2G, On Wednesday, a Good Samaritan discovered 68 lbs. WebOver the years, illegal drugs lots of them have been seized or discovered off Florida's shorelines. Florida Gov. 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. Several weapons were also found at the scene. The Smith and Wesson was in the center console of the car, Faison said. RELATED: Deadly dupes: Nationwide spike in mass-overdoses, teen deaths due to fentanyl-laced drugs, DEA says. The only things of note toever happen here was the Spanish landing in the 1600s, the burningdown of the Big Pine Inn in the 1970 and the Big Pine29 Bust in 1980. Marathon Residents:Edward Ronan, 57, Tarpon LodgeRafael Francisco Lopez, 42, P.O. Copyright 2022 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. These Valuable Pennies Are Worth Thousands, Miami-Dade Mayor, State Attorney Announce New Measures to Protect HOA Residents, Teen in Vicious Attack on Florida Teacher's Aide to Be Charged as Adult, Given $1M Bond, Ex-UM Football Player Accused of Killing Teammate Granted $850K Bond. Here's One Way to Pay Off Your Debt, Check Your Change! Gwen Filosa covers Key West and the Lower Florida Keys for FLKeysNews.com and the Miami Herald and lives in Key West. "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. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton brought 26,250 pounds of cocaine and 3,700 pounds of marijuana to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale -- the largest drug interdiction in the ship's history. An official confided that at least a half dozen hand guns were taken from the suspects. 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. 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. By Citizen Staff. Authorities said Bell was driving the Lexus and Dyer was the passenger. ), Car dealership workers kidnapped, tortured in armed robbery: police, Woman buys new tires that turn out to be 9 years old. At age 71, this Florida Keys man is working steady in the drug-dealing game, police say. ; Ralph Jesus Valdez, 37, No. 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. 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. FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. -- A traffic stop involving James Forbes Jr. happened just before 9 p.m. Tuesday night while riding a bike on Palm Avenue in Bunnell. "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. 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. EN-US WebA major drug operation in the Keys was disrupted Friday, leading to the arrest of six people on multiple drug-related charges. mso-style-noshow:yes; Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. If you need help with the Public File, call (954) 364-2526. Same as you, waiting, the agent responded. mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; "I been to the border twice, so I saw how it's coming in. See what the rescue teams saw, Retired Navy officer enters Florida Keys undersea lodge. (U.S. Border Patrol) MONROE COUNTY, Fla. Within just five days, nearly $80,000 worth of drugs have been discovered 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. 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. mso-style-parent:""; Miami, FL 33141 bust a woman for drug possession in the Florida Keys. They were too many of them and they were too obvious. Law enforcement officers raided a Keys smugglingoperation Saturday and busted an assortment of KeyWests establishment: the head of the Sears mensdepartment, a Chevrolet dealer, w Pepsi Cola truckdriver and a county commissioners uncle. Two teenage boys, ages 15 and 17, were sitting in the backseat. Newsroom: (305) 795-2777. These square grouper were picked up by cowboys in fast boats who listened to the marine radio day and night for word when there was a dumping. At the initial approachto the house there were 2 Customs agents, Seals andanother, the other 3 were Sheriffs deputies one of whomwas Mike Barber. Police in Florida issued arrest warrants for over 100 members of a suspected drug gang on Wednesday and seized enough fentanyl to wipe out a large county. WebTwo men and a woman were arrested on multiple drug violations. Colonel Rick Ramsay, who was there when the searches were conducted, said this was a large drug sales operation. In all, 30 people were charged in U.S. District Courtwith drug trafficking. If you have any information about Berumen and if you know of his whereabouts, please call FDLE," Special Agent in Charge Eli Lawson said. 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. The most famous of these were the Big Coppitt cowboys, a lose group of guys with fast boats and police scanners. WSVN broadcast educational and informational programming for children, and file quarterly reports with the FCC detailing the station's outreach to children. See what the rescue teams saw, Retired Navy officer enters Florida Keys undersea lodge. Then a Florida Keys condo leader was arrested Updated January 30, 2023 5:55 PM . Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. The bag contained 25 bricks of cocaine. 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. and help keep the future of New Times, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our. Authorities said it the mostdefendants in a single Keys bust and among the most everin any Florida bust. The pot that came from a square grouper was called sea weed. 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. The tension and violence in the air was awful for a hippy like me. mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; The men were in the process of bonding out late Saturday. The presence of the Sooth Carolina man led officials to speculate that that was the destination of the contraband. Nelson Alvarez-Bermudez, of Big Coppitt Key, was jailed Thursday after the Monroe County "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. 2 Key West, FL 33040 (305) 735-4587 Se Habla Espaol. The owner of a shrimp boat that was seized off Texas last year with 33 tons of marijuana aboard. Crime 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. The confiscated vehicles are expected to be valued in the thousands of dollars. X-NONE Bert Thompson waited for a list of the names of those arrested and the charges to be filed. Inside the bag, deputies found 37 liquid marijuana cartridges used for vaping. The public may view the reports by going to WSVN.com and clicking on "FCC Public File", or by visiting the FCC's website at FCC.org.