The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office in Florida recently seized a massive amount of fentanyl that could have killed three million people.
According to officials, they received information in February about a fentanyl drug trafficking organization that spanned several counties. Several local and federal agencies joined forces to work on the case, Fox 13 reported Saturday.
Authorities searched a Homosassa residence and two other places in Pasco County during their investigation. At the home in Homosassa, deputies found over 13 pounds of fentanyl, almost 150 grams of methamphetamine, 22 firearms, three of which were stolen, and more than $10,000 in cash.
JOINT OPERATION LEADS TO LARGEST FENTANYL SEIZURE IN HISTORY FOR CCSOhttps://t.co/fHHUq11wwO#CCSO #CCSOTIU
1726 pic.twitter.com/e56hd3mZgl— Sheriff Citrus (@SheriffCitrus) August 17, 2024
In a social media post on Saturday, the sheriff’s office said, “JOINT OPERATION LEADS TO LARGEST FENTANYL SEIZURE IN HISTORY FOR CCSO”:
The fentanyl seized was in several forms. There were pressed kilogram “bricks” stamped with the organization’s trademark and thousands of individual fentanyl pills stamped to look like prescription opioids, such as 10 mg oxycodone and “Percocet.”
These counterfeit pills coincide with DEA’s Public Safety Alert, where they found that 6 out of 10 fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills now contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl. Meaning that any person who buys prescription pills other than at a legitimate pharmacy may unknowingly be getting a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl.
The overall street value of these seized narcotics is estimated at $735,000.00.
“Enough fentanyl to kill over three million people has been taken off the streets in this one operation,” said Sheriff Prendergast.
The agency noted the investigation is still ongoing.
JOINT OPERATION LEADS TO LARGEST FENTANYL SEIZURE IN HISTORY FOR CCSO In February of this year, law enforcement received information about a drug trafficking operation that spanned across multiple counties.Detectives with the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office Tactical Impact Unit, United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa, United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office met immediately to establish a strategy to systematically dismantle their organization.As the investigation unfolded, the respective agencies worked together, conducting surveillance, gathering intelligence, and utilizing undercover techniques to establish probable cause for search warrants in both counties. Thanks to the excellent teamwork, on August 15th, 2024, after seven months of investigation, probable cause was developed to execute a search warrant at a residence in Homosassa and two additional locations in Pasco County. The search warrant in Homosassa resulted in the following narcotics seizures:1. Fentanyl (over 6 kilograms or over 13 pounds)2. Methamphetamine (nearly 150 grams)3. 22 Firearms (three stolen)4. $10,808 in cashThe fentanyl seized was in several forms. There were pressed kilogram “bricks” stamped with the organization’s trademark and thousands of individual fentanyl pills stamped to look like prescription opioids, such as 10 mg oxycodone and “Percocet.” These counterfeit pills coincide with DEA’s Public Safety Alert, where they found that 6 out of 10 fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills now contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl. Meaning that any person who buys prescription pills other than at a legitimate pharmacy may unknowingly be getting a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl. The overall street value of these seized narcotics is estimated at $735,000.00. “Enough fentanyl to kill over three million people has been taken off the streets in this one operation,” said Sheriff Prendergast. “Thursday, while our news conference on a pill mill was taking place, our TIU was serving this warrant. We will never tolerate drug trafficking in Citrus County. Thanks to this unified effort with our local, state, and federal partners, another illegal drug organization has been shut down. I continue to fulfill the promise I made on day one as your Sheriff: Illicit narcotics will not be tolerated in Citrus County.”This is still an open investigation, and the names and addresses of suspects will not be disclosed at this time. The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office has developed strong working relationships with local, state, and federal partners, which enable cases like this to have a successful outcome. CCSO currently has two Tactical Impact Unit members assigned to the United States Department of Homeland Security (HSI) Task Force, which has proven to be a force multiplier, as demonstrated by this case.#CCSO #CCSOTIU 1726
Posted by Citrus County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday, August 17, 2024
Meanwhile, a recent traffic stop in Roswell, Georgia, yielded enough fentanyl to 60,000 people, Breitbart News reported.
During her speech at the Republican National Convention in July, Anne Funder, whose 15-year-old son was poisoned by fentanyl and died said she holds President Joe Biden (D) and Vice President Kamala Harris (D) responsible for the tragic loss, per Breitbart News.
“My family and I were living in southern California when President Biden took office and opened our borders,” she stated, later adding, “I hold Joe Biden, Kamala Harris — the ‘Border Czar,’ what a joke — and Gavin Newsom and every Democrat who supports open borders responsible for the death of my son.”