A man going out on the smugglers mother ship could make a quick $100,000. The lobster boat reportedly was outfitted with sophisticated radar equipment and, as an official described, the biggest engine Ive ever seen. One of the vehicles was said to have a built-in police scanner. pic.twitter.com/ih10AhQAlx. Big Pine 29 Bust 1980 BigPineKey.com Deputies drove him to the COVID-19 checkpoint at mile marker 112.5 on U.S. 1, where his parents picked him up, Linhardt said. 1401 79th Street Causeway Huff is being held on $2.5 million bond, while both Walker and Wilborn are being held on just over $900,000 bond. Drugs seized by the U.S. Border Patrol in Monroe County. mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Over 100 arrested in massive Florida drug bust after months 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. If you need help with the Public File, call (954) 364-2526. 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. Hes in county jail on Stock Island, and his bond information was not immediately available. Switchboard: (305) 751-6692 Tawana Blackman and Leroy Lawson were arrested at that location. Copyright 2021 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com. 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 say they then found the following in the Camry: In addition to the trafficking charge, Gesell also faces charges of possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance (pills) without a prescription and possession of drug paraphernalia. RELATED: What is rainbow fentanyl? Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. Coral joined the Monroe County Sheriffs Office this past fall, and it wasnt long before she was racking up drug busts. 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. WebNo. Deputies found the Taurus inside a fanny pack located in the back seat. font-size:11.0pt; Good Samaritans found the drugs & notified authorities. man arrested, charged with trafficking cocaine in Florida Keys ), Car dealership workers kidnapped, tortured in armed robbery: police, Woman buys new tires that turn out to be 9 years old. WebPolice in the Florida Keys arrested two men this week after discovering large amounts of cash, drugs, and illegally harvested lobsters in their vehicle. The bag contained 25 bricks of cocaine. WSVN-TVSunbeam Television Corp Horace Calhoun, Clarence Moore, Jr. and Shamichael Johnson were all at the apartment and taken into custody. Both vehicles were pulled over between Mile Markers 32 and 33. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody announced the arrest of a massive violent gang operation in Florida linked to a Mexican drug cartel. The presence of the Sooth Carolina man led officials to speculate that that was the destination of the contraband. The estimated value of the marijuana was listed at $2 million. Some of the many boats confiscated during the smuggling days and their captured loads are shown below. Whoever loaned his van or truck to a smuggler didnt even have to be there to make $10,000. Stock Island Residents: Fisherman Paco Novalas, 23, 221 Stock Island ApartmentsConstruction worker Ralph Jesus Valdez, 37, 5 SunshineSt.Richard Lee Mungin, 37, No. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. false It was a routine bust.. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. The back door of one was still painted in the companys turquoise color with the word Sears still visible. 4 Sloans Trailer ParkJuan Manuel Venegas, 29, 837 Eighth Ave.Fisherman Michael Patrick OBrien, 22, 216 LincolnGardens. She's just a few weeks into her job with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office. Tipsters may remain anonymous. He is a graduate of the University of Delaware. mso-style-priority:99; Another was a miniature (three inches long) replica of the old Colt 45. and help keep the future of New Times, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our. On foot and in boats, law officers surprised the smugglers, shutting off their escape by land and sea. A 35-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman were arrested following a search of their residence 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 He plans to break records, These Florida spots, one in the Keys, made the best beaches list. He said he knew the older boy was missing, but not the younger teen, Faison said. "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. RELATED: Deadly dupes: Nationwide spike in mass-overdoses, teen deaths due to fentanyl-laced drugs, DEA says. of cocaine valued at over 1.5 million dollars floating in the #FloridaKeys. false Miami's independent source of They successfully evacuated the building, removed and destroyed the device. Six Arrested in Keys Drug Bust NBC 6 South Florida 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. 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. Monroe County sheriffs deputies pulled over his four-door Mercedes around 1 a.m. Friday behind the Seagrapes Apartment complex at 7155 Overseas Highway. Copyright 2021 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. #news pic.twitter.com/rUf0Etk61f. Florida traffic stop uncovers poached lobsters, drugs 2: Drug Bust at Haulover Marina. Dyer is Howards boyfriend, according to the sheriffs office. 29. Florida authorities arrested three suspects and seized more than 11 pounds of fentanyl as part of an undercover drug trafficking bust. 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. That evil gun-toting bunch of psychopaths scared the hell out of me. A detour to the Customs incinerators in Miami is probable. The tension and violence in the air was awful for a hippy like me. Fentanyl, often used to lace other drugs, is considered the deadliest drug in America, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She was part of the staff at the New Orleans Times-Picayune that in 2005 won two Pulitzer Prizes for coverage of Hurricane Katrina. The 29s lawyer knew about the smuggle. All three were arrested and taken to jail. The investigation started a month ago. 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. A major drug operation in the Keys was disrupted Friday, leading to the arrest of six people on multiple drug-related charges. ; Paco Novalas, 23, 221 Stock Island Apts. The suspects were identified by authorities as Misty Marie Howard, 39, of Big Pine Key, who had a warrant for trafficking 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. WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale, Coral Gables resident still refuses to sell decades-old home surrounded by massive development, Broward County pastor faces several fraud, grand theft charges after defrauding church, Gunman dead after hours-long SWAT standoff at SW Miami-Dade apartment complex, Police: Man fatally shot 3-year-old son, himself inside Coconut Grove condo, Police arrest student who made false bomb threat at Dillard High School; classes resume. Nearly $80,000 worth of drugs found along coast of Florida Keys FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The US Coast Guard offloaded more than $500 million worth of cocaine and marijuana in South Florida on Monday. false Robert Brown, a convicted felon, along with Other charges, such as possession of a concealed weapon by several defendants, were pending. On Friday afternoon, Alvarez-Bermudez remained jailed without bond at the Stock Island Detention Center. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. I never heard about any girlfriend of the lawyers disappearing as another other rumor that is floating thirty years later claims. Marathon couple charged with possession in drug bust At that point the two came face to face and the alleged smuggler, cried, Al, mi madre, the police.. Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. 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. The 17-year-old was clutching a backpack, according to the report. Normal 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. 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. I was just a hanger-on, not a player. K9 Coral assisted in the arrest of a Key West woman who faces drug trafficking and possession charges. A police K-9 sniffed out more than six ounces of cocaine inside a car during a traffic stop.