Alvarez-Bermudez is a convicted felon, so his possession of the gun drew a felony charge. Agents seized 48 pounds of fentanyl and more than 350 pounds of methamphetamines. He plans to break records, These Florida spots, one in the Keys, made the best beaches list. 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. mso-style-parent:""; FLORIDA KEYS, Fla. (WSVN) The Monroe County Sheriffs Office carried out a drug bust. Authorities said it the mostdefendants in a single Keys bust and among the most everin any Florida bust. mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; 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. The estimated value of the marijuana was listed at $2 million. K9 Coral assisted in the arrest of a Key West woman who faces drug trafficking and possession charges. A 71-year-old Keys drug dealer was busted, police said - Miami This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The canine deputy joined the department about three months ago and on Monday she caught yet another suspected drug dealer. Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. 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. 1401 79th Street Causeway Switchboard: (305) 751-6692 (The-CNN-Wire & 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. 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. These werent Saturday night specials, the deputy, said. And as frantic efforts were being made to reach U.S. Magistrate Jack Saunders to arrange a bond hearing, Sheriff William A. Freeman Jr. fretted, Where the hell am going to put them? Freemans already over-crowded jail became even more cramped when inmates destroyed Cell Block 2 during a disturbance Wednesday night. WebRobertson & Hunter, LLP 501 Whitehead St., Ste. 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. 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. Jul 17, 2021. Sergio Galvan was arrested Saturday, too. 29. WebOver the years, illegal drugs lots of them have been seized or discovered off Florida's shorelines. A man going out on the smugglers mother ship could make a quick $100,000. 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. 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. One asshole in particular kept spinning the cylinder of his shiny .45 Colt revolver and making up things to accuse me of. 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 The driver was a 43-year-old man from Miami. The two closed body trucks, both painted white, were former Sears vehicles, authorities said. Fentanyl bust: Enough drugs seized to kill half of Florida, Attorney The Smith and Wesson was in the center console of the car, Faison said. They also took at least a half dozen guns, including several satin steel, pearl-handled handguns, and a replica of a Colt .45. A man in a smaller boat could clear maybe $40,000. Harry, what you doing here? the other man queried. 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. Good Samaritans found the drugs & notified authorities. man arrested, charged with trafficking cocaine in Florida Keys Dyer is Howards boyfriend, according to the sheriffs office. pic.twitter.com/hN3VjDEG2G, On Wednesday, a Good Samaritan discovered 68 lbs. A A. MARATHON, Fla. Two Marathon men are facing multiple drug charged, including trafficking in fentanyl, after a Monroe County Sheriff K9 FLORIDA KEYS, Fla. (WSVN) The Monroe County Sheriffs Office carried out a drug bust. On foot and in boats, law officers surprised the smugglers, shutting off their escape by land and sea. 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. All rights reserved, What's With the Construction on I-95 in Broward? The 30 suspects surrendered peacefully. Coral the K9 helped catch two suspected drug traffickers in the Florida Keys on Monday. Monroe County Sheriffs Office deputies were praising K9 Coral on Tuesday. The cocaine, wrapped up in 25 packages stuffed in a large sack and found off According to authorities, deputies spotted Howard driving a black BMW south on U.S. 1 around 2:40 p.m. Monday. Ingesting as little as 0.25 milligrams can be fatal. On Friday afternoon, Alvarez-Bermudez remained jailed without bond at the Stock Island Detention Center. 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. Monroe County K9 busts 3 more for drugs during traffic stop - WPLG David Goodhue covers the Florida Keys and South Florida for FLKeysNews.com and the Miami Herald. Then a Florida Keys condo leader was arrested Updated January 30, 2023 5:55 PM . Both vehicles were pulled over between Mile Markers 32 and 33. Miami man arrested, charged with trafficking cocaine in Florida Authorities said additional deputies were called to the scene along with K9 Coral, who alerted them to drugs in the Lexus and BMW. Other than those listed previously, also arrested were: Vincente Jose Martinez, 36, 3817 Northside Ct.; Antonio Sanchez, 54, 1803 Atlantic Blvd. Florida traffic stop uncovers poached lobsters, drugs A detour to the Customs incinerators in Miami is probable. 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. The bag contained 25 bricks of cocaine. ; Ralph Jesus Valdez, 37, No. The drugs had an estimated street value of at least $181,000, according to the office. If you have any information about Berumen and if you know of his whereabouts, please call FDLE," Special Agent in Charge Eli Lawson said. Nelson Alvarez-Bermudez, of Big Coppitt Key, was jailed Thursday after the Monroe County They were charged with trafficking in marijuana, possession of over 2,000 pounds of marijuana and conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance. Florida traffic stop uncovers poached lobsters, drugs, and cash K9 Coral with drugs seized during March 15 traffic stop. mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; Based on anonymous tips, Customs, Sheriffs Department and Marine Patrol aircraft began watching the Big Pine Key area, officials said. Pacheco waived his Miranda rights, according to the report, and told deputies he picked up the 17-year-old in Miami and the 15-year-old in Homestead. At age 71, this Florida Keys man is working steady in the drug-dealing game, police say. She's just a few weeks into her job with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office. Other charges, such as possession of a concealed weapon by several defendants, were pending. The cowboys would jump into their go-fast boats that were kept docked at the seawall next to their house, and zoom out to where the floating bales were. I was just a hanger-on, not a player. Freeman said he was eager to gain title to the smuggling vehicles for his department. "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. The most famous of these were the Big Coppitt cowboys, a lose group of guys with fast boats and police scanners. 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. ), Car dealership workers kidnapped, tortured in armed robbery: police, Woman buys new tires that turn out to be 9 years old. Colonel Rick Ramsay, who was there when the searches were conducted, said this was a large drug sales operation. pic.twitter.com/ih10AhQAlx. See what the rescue teams saw, Retired Navy officer enters Florida Keys undersea lodge. This time she alerted deputies to drugs inside a Lexus and a BMW that were pulled over Monday afternoon on Big Pine Key. mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; 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. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? A police K-9 sniffed out more than six ounces of cocaine inside a car during a traffic stop. Cash in the amount of more than $1,000 was seized as well. "We must have strict enforcement for these dealers and treatment for those who have become addicted.. Marathon couple charged with possession in drug bust mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Florida Gov. Join the New Times community and help support 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. Record drug bust: $1.4 billion worth of cocaine and marijuana Tipsters may remain anonymous. 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. WebThe Border Patrol said 73 pounds of cocaine and 62 pounds of marijuana were found between two days. Contact Us That evil gun-toting bunch of psychopaths scared the hell out of me. Theyre accused of selling crack I hoped I could talk my way out of there. Six Arrested in Keys Drug Bust NBC 6 South Florida6 to Know: Drug Bust at Haulover Marina, Search - NBC 6 South false As the Marine Patrol or Customs would be speeding to intercept a pot boat the people on the pot boat would throw the bales off as fast as they could, trying to get rid of the evidence. 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. Harry, he replied. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. 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. 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. (U.S. Border Patrol) MONROE COUNTY, Fla. Within just five days, nearly $80,000 worth of drugs have been discovered Florida Keys traffic stop turns into guns and drugs bust | Miami Herald /* Style Definitions */ mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; 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. Florida mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; "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. What we're seeing, for example, just two months ago, we ceased purple fentanyl. 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. And a Monroe County commissioner and well-known Florida Keys businessman has died after a battle with COVID-19, friends confirmed. 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. Dozens of them were taken into custody and bused to prison, including the six alleged ringleaders. 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. 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. mso-pagination:widow-orphan;