35 defendants are accused of trafficking more than 300 kilos of cocaine and fentanyl worth $8 million into Central Florida in what law enforcement says is one of the biggest drug busts in the region in decades.
"The defendants in this case used the U.S. Postal Service and private parcel carriers to ship their cocaine to Central Florida," Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation Director Ron Stucker said. "Once it's in Central Florida they would distribute it throughout our region, throughout the state of Florida and up the Eastern seaboard of the United States."
As far north as Maine.
“This massive drug-trafficking organization moved millions of dollars’ worth of cocaine from Puerto Rico into the United States," Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said. "They used torture to intimidate and maintain a stranglehold on the market, and supplied Central Florida with so much cocaine that the price of the illicit substance in that area actually dropped. I am proud of my Statewide Prosecutors for working with Florida and federal law enforcement to dismantle this dangerous drug-trafficking ring and ensure these suspects face justice.”
Orange County Sheriff John Mina says there is no doubt that the arrests of these individuals 'has saved lives and will continue to save lives in our community.'
Image courtesy Getty