FLORIDA – Six people from Florida are among nine that have been indicted for an alleged multi-state drug trafficking conspiracy following an investigation dubbed “Operation Ice Man.”
United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced the return of an indictment charging the nine defendants on Monday.
According to the indictment and court documents, since early 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the DeLand Police Department, and the Daytona Police Department have been involved in an investigation into an alleged drug trafficking organization (DTO) that was reportedly transporting methamphetamine and cocaine from Phoenix, Arizona and Los Angeles, California to central Florida.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida (USAO), the defendants and charges are:
| Name | Crimes | Potential Penalties |
| Luis Miguel Hernandez (36, Phoenix, AZ) | Drug trafficking conspiracy | Mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in prison |
| Saul Sandoval (39, Phoenix, AZ) |
Drug trafficking conspiracy | Mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in prison |
| Tyrone James Jones (55, Palm Coast, FL) |
Drug trafficking conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute | Mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in prison |
| Zara Adriana Mascarella (20, Palm Coast, FL) | Drug trafficking conspiracy | Mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in prison |
| Jimmie Lee Bizzell (53, Green Cove Springs, FL) |
Drug trafficking conspiracy | Mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in prison |
| Alfred Lamar Shavers (48, Bunnell, FL) |
Drug trafficking conspiracy and possession of firearms by a convicted felon | Maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and mandatory minimum of 15 years up to life in prison |
| Camarie Dontre Shavers (23, Bunnell, FL) | Drug trafficking conspiracy | Mandatory minimum of 5 years up to 40 years in prison |
| Alfred Lamar Shavers, Jr. (26, Bunnell, FL) |
Drug trafficking conspiracy | Mandatory minimum of 5 years up to 40 years in prison |
One additional defendant remains unnamed pending their arrest, the USAO said.
During the investigation, federal agents and task force officers said they identified several members of the conspiracy and the methods used by the DTO to ship methamphetamine and cocaine from Mexico across the United States to central Florida using commercial trucks. Law enforcement is said to have tracked the drugs from Phoenix and Los Angeles, gathering vital intelligence on the DTO.
Bizzell was one of the commercial truck drivers who transported the drugs from Phoenix to Florida, said the USAO.
On October 31, 2022, search warrants were executed at six locations in Palm Coast, Bunnell, and Daytona Beach. Allegedly, 44.54 kilograms of methamphetamine and 2.72 kilograms of cocaine were seized.
In addition, nine guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition were reportedly seized from where Alfred Shavers resided. Jones, Mascarella, Alfred Shavers, Alfred Shavers, Jr., and Camarie Shavers were identified as drug distributors in central Florida, said the USAO.
Upon further investigation, law enforcement said it determined that Sandoval and Hernandez were the sources of the methamphetamine and cocaine from Phoenix and Los Angeles. Agents reportedly learned that Sandoval and Hernandez had brokered deals with co-conspirators in Mexico who were sending drugs across the border for Sandoval and Hernandez to sell.
Law enforcement also reportedly discovered that Sandoval possessed multiple illegal firearms at his residence, including fully automatic firearms, short-barrel firearms, and auto switches designed to be installed on Glock handgun slides to render the handguns fully automatic. Authorities believe that since 2021, Sandoval and Hernandez distributed more than 300 kilograms of drugs shipped to central Florida.
On April 25, 2023, Sandoval was arrested in Phoenix, and a search warrant was executed at his residence. Inside his home, agents said they located 1,114 grams of fentanyl pills, 18 firearms, four firearm suppressors, and more than $5,000 in cash. Sandoval was detained and is currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transport to the Middle District of Florida for further proceedings.
Hernandez was arrested in Los Angeles on the same day. He was alleged to have been in the middle of conducting a new drug trafficking deal for approximately 36 kilograms of methamphetamine at the time of his arrest. Hernandez was also detained and placed in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending his transport to the Middle District of Florida.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
The indictment also notifies Alfred Lamar Shavers that the United States intends to forfeit four pistols, two rifles, and one shotgun which are alleged to be traceable to the offense.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, and the Volusia Bureau of Investigation, which includes the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the Daytona Beach Police Department, and the DeLand Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney AUSA John M. Gardella will prosecute it.
