FLORIDA — “Operation Daly Dose” is striking hard against an alleged drug trafficking network spanning multiple Central Florida counties, Attorney General Ashley Moody has announced.
The five-month investigation by law enforcement has led to charges against more than 30 people.
The operation investigated an alleged heroin and fentanyl trafficking organization active in Volusia and Lake counties. The investigation recently reached its culmination with a series of arrests and the confiscation of substantial quantities of fentanyl, along with the equipment utilized in its processing, Moody said.
The multi-jurisdictional operation reportedly identified sources of supply responsible for distributing multiple kilograms of fentanyl per month in both counties.
“This large-scale investigation has led to the dismantling of a fentanyl trafficking network, and more than 30 individuals are now behind bars for buying and selling this poison,” said Moody.
“My statewide prosecutors will aggressively prosecute these cases, and we will continue to fight back with our law enforcement partners against this crisis.”
While authorities made arrests throughout the investigation, Volusia County Sheriff’s deputies arrested approximately two dozen defendants during a recent sweep from nine search warrants executed across the DeLand and Orange City areas, Moody said.
The defendants’ various charges include armed trafficking in fentanyl, heroin, meth, cocaine, and MDMA, among many other crimes, said Moody.
“There should be no sympathy for what these scumbags are doing to our community,” said Volusia County Sheriff Michael Chitwood.
“We’re all talking all the time because we all have the same mission. The mission is to keep our communities as safe as possible.”
According to Moody’s announcement, more than 2,300 grams of fentanyl were seized during the investigation, along with approximately 53 grams of black tar heroin, 138 grams of cocaine, 423 grams of meth, 43 grams of MDMA, 180 opioid pills, and other items.
The Volusia Bureau of Investigation, the West Volusia Narcotics Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Agency, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Attorney General Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution (OSP) cooperated in the joint investigation. The Attorney General’s OSP will prosecute these cases.
