Whats that smell in the Florida Keys? 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. 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. {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; Copyright 2022 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. Two men and a woman were arrested on multiple drug violations. (U.S. Border Patrol) MONROE COUNTY, Fla. Within just five days, nearly $80,000 worth of drugs have been discovered The most famous of these were the Big Coppitt cowboys, a lose group of guys with fast boats and police scanners. With this operation, we are making a significant dent in the sales of illegal drugs on Stock Island.. mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Authorities said it the most defendants in a single Keys bust and among the most ever in any Florida bust. 2: Drug Bust at Haulover Marina. From the Miami HeraldNovember 14, 1980By Michael Capuzzo and Robert Rivas Herald Staff Writers. Florida Gov. That was one of the scariest nights I ever had. Inside the bag, deputies found 37 liquid marijuana cartridges used for vaping. They were expensive guns. At Least two, he said, had satin steel finish with pearl handles. 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. Other than those listed previously, also arrested were: Vincente Jose Martinez, 36, 3817 Northside Ct.; Antonio Sanchez, 54, 1803 Atlantic Blvd. She's just a few weeks into her job with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office. If you need help with the Public File, call (954) 364-2526. Stock Island Residents: Fisherman Paco Novalas, 23, 221 Stock Island ApartmentsConstruction worker Ralph Jesus Valdez, 37, 5 SunshineSt.Richard Lee Mungin, 37, No. it wasnt long before she was racking up drug busts. Deputies say her Toyota Camry had expired tags and that Coral then alerted to drugs in the car. On Friday afternoon, Alvarez-Bermudez remained jailed without bond at the Stock Island Detention Center. He is a graduate of the University of Delaware. Nelson Alvarez-Bermudez, of Big Coppitt Key, was jailed Thursday after the Monroe County In addition to charges of possession of more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana trafficking and conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance, which were filed against all 30 defendants, charges of carrying concealed weapons were still pending against several of the men. He said then that he had gone to get his brother Sergio, 40. The men were in the process of bonding out late Saturday. Monroe County Sheriff's Office reports the Sheriff's detectives and the Special Weapons and Tactics Team gathered information for over a month's time, leading them to serve two search warrants simultaneously--- one on 2nd street and one on 11th avenue in Stock Island. Once the windows were down, Faison said she smelled a strong odor of both burnt and fresh marijuana coming from inside the car. 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. 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. Authorities said several rolled bills containing a powdery substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamines were found inside of the BMW. 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 estimated value of the marijuana was listed at $2 million. "We must have strict enforcement for these dealers and treatment for those who have become addicted.. Some of the many boats confiscated during the smuggling days and their captured loads are shown below. 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. Good Samaritans found the drugs & notified authorities. These people were very organized and were selling lots of drugs, he said. mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; 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. and help keep the future of New Times, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our. Miami was snubbed, Florida Keys firefighter arrested after deputies say she beat her wife outside a bar, Human smuggling, a truck and a school bus: A Broward child rapist goes back behind bars. Among the arrested: Domingo F. Galvan, 44, a registered nurse at Key Wests tiny DePoo Memorial Hospital. We cannot allow these drugs and the criminals who peddle them to poison our communities and destroy lives," DeSantis said in a statement Wednesday. A man going out on the smugglers mother ship could make a quick $100,000. All three were arrested and taken to jail. "Several of the suspects arrested today were arrested previously in this investigation for drug related charges and were released after posting lowered bonds.". The driver was a 43-year-old man from Miami. 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. Amanda Batchelor, Digital Executive Producer. Deputies found the Taurus inside a fanny pack located in the back seat. 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. Danielle2.5 Tons Pot250,000 Quaaludes1979, Officers Mark Walker and Doug Smith Sugarloaf Key 1980. Letters to the editor with pictures since 2002. WebNo. false 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. 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. The attorney general says cartels only care about profit and power. The individual noticed a large black bundle wrapped in tape & contacted local authorities. 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. Crime One suspect was in the U.S. illegally. A man in a smaller boat could clear maybe $40,000. The drugs had an estimated street value of at least $181,000, according to the office. This story was originally published May 22, 2020, 8:40 PM. 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. 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. 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. A 35-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman were arrested following a search of their residence Tipsters may remain anonymous. Become a member to support the independent voice of South Florida Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Dyer is Howards boyfriend, according to the sheriffs office. Coast guard members work to free the entangled turtle from the bundles of drugs. Same as you, waiting, the agent responded. They also took at least a half dozen guns, including several satin steel, pearl-handled handguns, and a replica of a Colt .45. Nearly $80,000 worth of drugs discovered along the coastline in the #FloridaKeys since start of May. In all, 30 people were charged in U.S. District Courtwith drug trafficking. Fentanyl, often used to lace other drugs, is considered the deadliest drug in America, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Copyright 2021 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. WFTV Detectives said the organization FLORIDA KEYS, Fla. (WSVN) The Monroe County Sheriffs Office carried out a drug bust. 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. There were kidnappings among that crowd, but that is another story and has nothing to do with this one. 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. The senior citizen also had a 9mm handgun, 189 rounds of ammunition and a digital scale, police said. A very special thanks to Major Monty Seals who ran theoperation. 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. Colorful pills drive new warnings about deadliest drug in the US. I was just a hanger-on, not a player. Dealers are also disguising the drugs to look like candy. Whoever loaned his van or truck to a smuggler didnt even have to be there to make $10,000. (The-CNN-Wire & 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. 1401 79th Street Causeway 29. 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. The back door of one was still painted in the companys turquoise color with the word Sears still visible. 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. 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. She was part of the staff at the New Orleans Times-Picayune that in 2005 won two Pulitzer Prizes for coverage of Hurricane Katrina. 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. The 17-year-old was clutching a backpack, according to the report. 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. bust a woman for drug possession in the Florida Keys. So the cartels in Mexico are very good about marketing," Staly said. Another was a miniature (three inches long) replica of the old Colt 45. 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. By Citizen Staff. 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. 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. 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. Authorities said it the mostdefendants in a single Keys bust and among the most everin any Florida bust. The woman in the front seat was not arrested, nor was the 15-year-old. ~Editor. David Goodhue covers the Florida Keys and South Florida for FLKeysNews.com and the Miami Herald. There might have been something else,but it escapes me. Monroe County Sheriffs Office deputies were praising K9 Coral on Tuesday. The tension and violence in the air was awful for a hippy like me. Robert Brown, a convicted felon, along with Gwen Filosa covers Key West and the Lower Florida Keys for FLKeysNews.com and the Miami Herald and lives in Key West. The two closed body trucks, both painted white, were former Sears vehicles, authorities said. Newsroom: (305) 795-2777. See what the rescue teams saw, Retired Navy officer enters Florida Keys undersea lodge. mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; Huff is being held on $2.5 million bond, while both Walker and Wilborn are being held on just over $900,000 bond. 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. A police K-9 sniffed out more than six ounces of cocaine inside a car during a traffic stop. 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. The confiscated vehicles are expected to be valued in the thousands of dollars. A reporter for the Miami Herald, who wanted to take pictures of the arrested men, was threatened by the lobby crowd who warned him that neither he nor the camera would make it out of the building unharmed if he took photos. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. K9 Coral assisted in the arrest of a Key West woman who faces drug trafficking and possession charges. mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; 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. Drugs seized by the U.S. Border Patrol in Monroe County. 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. 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. "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. He was arrested and charged with trafficking cocaine. Miami was snubbed, Florida Keys firefighter arrested after deputies say she beat her wife outside a bar, Human smuggling, a truck and a school bus: A Broward child rapist goes back behind bars. Officers also found more than $3,000 in cash. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Contact Us Staly adds there are a lot of undercover operations in the county and you will eventually get caught. 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. Horace Calhoun, Clarence Moore, Jr. and Shamichael Johnson were all at the apartment and taken into custody. If you need help with the Public File, call (954) 364-2526. And a Monroe County commissioner and well-known Florida Keys businessman has died after a battle with COVID-19, friends confirmed. Traffic stop results in drug bust. The canine deputy joined the department about three months ago and on Monday she caught yet another suspected drug dealer. mso-pagination:widow-orphan; Police arrested 100 suspects and seized enough drugs to wipe out a large county. - 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. The presence of the Sooth Carolina man led officials to speculate that that was the destination of the contraband. mso-para-margin-left:0in; He didnt. WebFLORIDA KEYS, Fla. (WSVN) The Monroe County Sheriffs Office carried out a drug bust. He plans to break records, These Florida spots, one in the Keys, made the best beaches list. 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. 5 Sunshine St., Stock Island; Orlando Vidal Maldonado, 42, Miami; Norman Lee Young, 30, Hilton Head, S.C.; Sergio Edward Galvan, 40, 3738 Paula Ave.; Richard Allen Shank, 31, 3533 Flagler Ave., route man for Pepsi Cola Miami; Mitchell Earl Noa, 22, Big Pine Key; Carmen Fernandez, 28, Miami, listed employer as Two Friends Inc, Co.; Enrique Blasco, 19, Laird St.; Raul Hernandez Miami, listed as owner Coral Fish Co., Miami; Edward Ronan, 57, Tarpon Lodge, Marathon; Rafael Francisco Lopez, Marathon; Rolando Aguiar 30, Miami; Bernardo L Valiente, 25, Marathon, Michael Patrick OBrien, 216 Lincoln Gardens, Stock Island; Fermin Tapia, 41, Jamaica Dr. (city directory lists same address on P. Avenue as given to authorities by Sergio Galvan); G. Collazo, 25, Marathon; Jose Morzon Garcia, 44, 29, Key West Villas, listed employer as Two Friends Inc, Co.; Catalino Rios Chambrot, 35, Miami; Richard Lee Mungin, 37, Sloan Trailer Park, Stock Island; Angel Cruz, 27, Miami; Juano Manuel Venegas, A37 8th Ave., Stock Island. Whos there, the agent was asked in Spanish. 2 Key West, FL 33040 (305) 735-4587 Se Habla Espaol. 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. Florida authorities arrested three suspects and seized more than 11 pounds of fentanyl as part of an undercover drug trafficking bust. At the initial approachto the house there were 2 Customs agents, Seals andanother, the other 3 were Sheriffs deputies one of whomwas Mike Barber. 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. The amount of opiates seized were "enough to kill every single resident of Brevard County," which has an estimated population of about 590,000 people, according to police. 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. Pacheco told cops the gun belonged to the 17-year-old, who was also arrested and turned over to juvenile justice authorities, Adam Linhardt, sheriffs office spokesman, said.