FL operation results in 350 felony charges, 8 undocumented aliens and seizure of $500,000+ in assets
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FL HSMV)
June 17, 2023
June 17, 2023
Tallahassee, Florida - Last week, numerous law enforcement agencies participated in a weeklong multi-agency strike force operation in Columbia County, Forida with the purpose of helping to keep Florida safe by preventing dangerous substances like fentanyl and other drugs and illegal weapons from being brought into Florida, and interdicting human smugglers and undocumented aliens.
Agencies that participated in the operation included the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Florida National Guard Counterdrug Taskforce, Columbia County Sheriff's Office, and agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
During this collaborative effort, the strike force conducted 286 traffic stops that resulted in 42 total arrests, consisting of 350 felony charges, 33 misdemeanor charges, 23 drug charges, 2 firearm charges, and 8 undocumented aliens being taken into custody. The operation also resulted in the seizure of 3 vehicles, 4 guns, over 1,500 grams of fentanyl, over 41 grams of cocaine, over 150 grams of methamphetamine, over 1,000 grams of heroin, close to 4,000 grams of marijuana, and almost $9,000 in cash.
"The Florida Highway Patrol is committed to battling the illicit flow of deadly drugs entering our state and damaging our communities...we will always work to disable the criminal cartels that take advantage of the open border," said FL HSMV Executive Director Dave Kerner."
"This operation and others taking place in Florida and Texas aim at keeping narcotics, weapons, and criminals off our streets and away from our communities," said FHP Colonel Gary Howze, II. "Time and time again, these operations highlight the amount of illegal material transported daily into and throughout our State. We are dedicated to stopping this by aggressively pursuing our mission of providing a safer Florida."
“These multi-agency interdictions continue to take felons, guns, drugs and unlawful criminals off of our streets and out of Florida’s communities," said FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass. "These successful strike force missions can serve as a role model for other states.”