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[1] The individuals were suspected in trafficking cocaine from Miami into the Pensacola area. In case you missed it: 'Thank God! When you deal marijuana at this level, violence will ensue and thats why you can imagine they had the 32 firearms, all this equipment and were talking about several million dollars worth of assets that we have seized, are in the processing of seizing or will seize in the following months as we continue this investigation.. August 27th, 2021 11:29 am, Green rocket on Colin Warren-Hicks can be reached at colinwarrenhicks@pnj.com or 850-435-8680. ballistic gel dummy with bones. A total of 63 suspects have been identified, and about half have been arrested. The cocaine ring was centered on a small bar, the Sandshaker, on the island town of Pensacola Beach.[2][3]. Drug and alcohol addiction is a nationwide epidemic, please reach out if you or a loved one is suffering. Based in the city of Guadalajara, CJNG is the fastest growing drug cartel and the second biggest player in the United States. Pensacon headlines your 5 Things to do this Weekend! The Escambia County. Well, the Drug Enforcement Agency aided the Edmonton police force as it made itslargest cash seizure to that point. The Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, Jason R. Coody, who joined Simmons at the Thursday news conference, said Vo had been charged with one federal count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Sheriff calls for community action. At the press conference, deputies displayed photographs taken of the inside of the Klondyke Road property that included images of a suitcase full of money with an estimated $500,000 neatly stacked inside, assault-rifle-type weapons and walk-in safes filled with rows oforganized and packaged drugs. See the article in its original context from. Others involved in the ring have been charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and face maximum penalties of up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines. Disclosure: 13 US Cities That Are Crowded By Mexican Drug Cartels is originally published at Insider Monkey. According to the DEA, Mexican drug cartels continue to expand their presence and forge partnerships with other transnational gangs, U.S. street gangs, prison gangs, and Chinese money laundering organizations. Law enforcement officials said today that they had arrested 61 members of a cocaine ring that illegally imported and distributed more than 2,400 kilograms of the drug a year, with a street value of more than $720 million. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Drug smuggling knows no age, and this August 2018 bust is proof. One of the biggest drug busts Florida has ever seen was straight out of a movie. Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons held a press conference Friday afternoon regarding the department's recent multi-home drug bust he dubbed "Operation Blue Christmas.". North Platte Woman Sentenced for Drug Trafficking Crime. . Here's the latest bracketology predictions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists fentanyl as being up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Here's why. Sheriff calls for community action. The SWAT team made entry to the home after knocking and announcing who they were. A major source of the cocaine supply into Pensacola and Northwest Florida has been "knocked out", according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Attorney General Kimmelman praised the cooperation among the law enforcement agencies involved, including Federal, state, county and local police departments. August 26th, 2021 6:15 pm, End the Drug War on DEA agents say addicts who can no longer afford . All of those involved in the ring are Colombian nationals, according to the authorities. BLO activities remain more dispersed throughout the United States, with heavier concentrations in areas with large heroin markets," said the DEA. They range from drug . The county is on track to nearly double that number in 2022, with 1,969 reported overdoses as of Dec. 12, according to a county EMS dashboard. Simmons also said there was a 4-month-old child in the house laying next to powdered fentanyl and said the department is investigating that situation. Mexican drug cartels also convert wealthy Chinese nationals' Renminbi (RMB) to US dollars at a lower rate than the prevailing market rate. August 26th, 2021 8:47 pm, Beach Boy on Jaquan Charmine Xavier Smith, 26, of Pensacola, has so far been charged with possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana, resisting arrest without violence, driving with a suspended license and violation of probation. Click to skip ahead and see the list of top 5 cities that are crowded by Mexican drug cartels . Read More. September 2nd, 2021 12:10 am, Mark on October 20th, 2020 2:59 pm, Conservative centrist on Next: A bust that saved the equivalent of 26 million lives. In 1991, police officers seized 59 boxes containing 1080 pounds of Heroin, with a street value ranging from $2.7 billion to $4 billion. When buying cowboy boots, there are a few aspects to consider, such as how far up they go on your legs and their design. The others remain wanted. on ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. -- The Escambia County Sheriff's Office announced a significant drug arrest Thursday that they say should help reduce violent crimes in the area. The sheriff added that further arrests of more peoplein connection toVos operations also could occur pending the investigation's completion. One happened in Harlingen in southeast Texas in 1989. Updated: Sep 22, 2022 / 05:30 AM EDT. When the main players had their cases go to trial, the warehouse owner received a life sentence, according to the Los Angeles Times. "Restaurateur faces drug . There are at least 13 U.S. cities that are used as distribution hubs by the Mexican drug cartels. August 28th, 2021 12:52 pm, Correction for Chris on October 20th, 2020 10:15 am, Allan Mitchell on 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Business owner guilty on all counts." Pensacola News Journal, February 12, 2008. Authorities learned about the ring after Union County police arrested one of the members and he became an informer. Border agents in San Diego arrested an 81-year old woman after they found 34 heroin packages weighing 92 pounds. Los Zetas Cartel is also the only Mexican cartel that uses Laredo as a major hub. February 22, 2023. CJNG continues to be the Mexican TCO with second-most widespread national influence. According to the DEA, these six Mexican drug cartels generate tens of billions of dollars every year and employ a multitude of financial transactions and arrangements to launder and smuggle their earnings into Mexico. As a result, some of the biggest drug busts in history have discovered billions of dollars worth of illicit substances. 1 on the countdown. Loaded gun found on school campus in Monroe Co. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The 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. 1.San Francisco is home to the crown of the world largest ever recorded drugs bust. April 15, 2022 Congresswoman Kat Cammack (R-FL) went on Fox News Business on Friday to share with the public that there was a huge drug bust in her district. Juarez Cartel is also the only Mexican cartel that uses El Paso as a major hub. 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It is the 4th most powerful Mexican drug cartel operating in the United States. This investigation began because of a series of violent crimes that we had earlier this year, Simmons said. Explore more on Drug Bust. Here are our rankings using DEA's data: Los Zetas Cartel is the only Mexican cartel that uses New Orleans as a major hub. Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons told the News Journal that the local area experiences an opioid-related overdose on an almost daily basis. The tunnel police found in California was 600 yards long, had lights and a working elevator, and contained 32 tons of marijuana worth roughly $65 million. September 1st, 2021 1:06 pm, J-THE-G on Los Zetas Cartel is also the only Mexican cartel that uses Dallas as a major hub. The Sandwich Shop was not in operation prior to the hurricane. Channel 3's Rebekah Castor is live with the. August 26th, 2021 6:46 pm, Just Me on We need to know about the issues and how we can help," Bruno said. All Rights Reserved. August 26th, 2021 7:29 pm, Get em all on Along with serving five warrants, here are the sheriff's "totals for the week" in seizures from the five homes: "I will tell you this: We are committed to stopping these people who are ruining our neighborhoods," Simmons said. LEE COUNTY, Fla. Deputies arrested six people Wednesday in the largest drug bust to ever hit Lee County. During a routine traffic stop near Kearney, Neb., state troopers found 118 pounds of fentanyl, which is enough to kill 26 million people when you consider two milligrams is a potentially fatal dose. "I just want to say merry Christmas to Escambia County residents, certainly those that live in this area, and I want to say how proud I am of our narcotics unit and our partners here locally," Simmons said while concluding the press conference. If convicted on Federal charges of operating a continuing drug enterprise, Mr. Fernandez and Mr. Barco could be sentenced to up to life in prison, without parole. 5 on the list to read about the U.S. Coast Guards big bust in 2007. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. This all happened less than 400 feet from Pleasant Hill Baptist Church which is an additional charge because it was within 1,000 feet. The search warrant resulted in one arrest. Police in Florida issued arrest warrants for over members of a suspected drug gang on Wednesday and seized enough fentanyl to wipe out a large county. "There has also been evidence of the utilization of cryptocurrencies by Mexican TCOs as a means by which to transfer their wealth internationally" said the DEA. All Rights Reserved. August 30th, 2021 9:42 pm, 429SCJ on The narcotics were intercepted and retrieved in international seas along the coastlines of Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean Sea. August 26, 2021 The Escambia County Sheriff's Office has announced the largest marijuana grow and distribution operation ever busted in Escambia County. Read More. Gun crime:Escambia County had 25 homicides already in 2022. Girls high school basketball team forfeits a game because it refused to play against a team with a transgender player, Fox Leaders Wanted to Break From Trump but Struggled to Make It Happen, Not Going to Read That: White House Press Secretary Brushes Off DeSantis Op-Ed, Brunt of storm moving out of SoCal, light showers on tap Wednesday, Early Humans Truth People Prefer Not to Know, Wake-Up Weather: AM showers then mild and breezy, Wiener criticizes judge's ruling on Berkeley People's Park housing project, Where could FAU be seeded in the NCAA Tournament? We have no idea what the Mexican drug cartels do with all that RMB and how they smuggle all that cash out of China. Pensacola News Journal, April 29, 2006. Related: ECSO seizes $2.2 million of powdered cocaine largest in recent department history. Escambia County has 63% of fentanyl deaths in 4-county area in 2021, deaths increased 48%. October 21st, 2020 12:57 pm, Bonnie on . $500 million Pacific Ocean drug bust 105 ton marijuana drug bust 12 ton Coast Guard drug bust 13.8 . On Aug. 18, authorities conducted 11 simultaneous search warrants on properties with ties to Vos dealings. Jalisco New Generation Cartel is the only Mexican cartel that uses New York City as a major hub. "That means we had enough lethal fentanyl to kill 800,000 people. But I think its safe to say that for Mr. Vo, his days of living large, fancy-car driving, gold-jewelry wearing, lavish-lifestyle living, his Ric Flair days are over, Simmons said. by: Ashlyn Williams. Multiple law enforcement agencies collaborated in the raid of a Fort Myers auto shop. Remember when we discussed a secret drug tunnel in Arizona that authorities discovered in 2018? "We're committed to stopping the ones who are bringing this stuff in. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. The sheriff also wanted this investigation to serve as "a Christmas gift" for the citizens of Escambia by ridding the streets of lethal drugs and weapons. The largest marijuana distributor to ever peddle pot in the history of Escambia County has been arrested, according to Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons. A warehouse raid in Hayward in the east bay seized 1,200 pounds of heroin worth roughly $3 billion. August 27th, 2021 9:49 pm, Dante LaBeaux on Narcotics that used to sell locally for $10 a pill now command as much as $80. Disclosure: 18 Biggest Drug Busts In U.S. History is originally published at Insider Monkey. Sheriff calls for community action. Florida drug bust seized enough fentanyl to 'kill everyone within 18 counties' by: Dylan Abad. One of the biggest drug busts Florida has ever seen was straight out of a movie. A brother-sister duo, a quiet suburb, and a false attic wall hiding $24 million in cash made trafficking marijuana. We ranked each city by the number of different Mexican cartels that use as a distribution hub. Anyone can read what you share. All accounts, contract rights, accounts receivables and general intangible rights relating to or otherwise existing as a consequence of the operation are included in the auction. Authorities seized 46 pounds of pot and $300,000 in cash in 2014 during a big bust in the smallest state in America. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Operation_Sandshaker&oldid=1098279589, This page was last edited on 15 July 2022, at 03:00. 22 TCU wins 75-73 to deny No. Read more: Which Politicians Had Terrible Diseases Like John McCain? 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