CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. — Through a joint operation, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office helped seize a record amount of fentanyl in the agency’s history on Thursday, officials said.
The overall street value of the seized narcotics was estimated at $735,000.
"Enough fentanyl to kill over three million people has been taken off the streets in this one operation," said Citrus Sheriff Mike Prendergast.
In February, law enforcement officials 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 to establish a strategy to systematically dismantle the 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.
On Thursday, 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.
"Thursday, while our news conference on a pill mill was taking place, our TIU (Tactical Impact Unit) was serving this warrant. We will never tolerate drug trafficking in Citrus County,” Prendgrast said.
The search warrant in Homosassa resulted in the following narcotics seizures:
- Fentanyl (over 6 kilograms or over 13 pounds)
- Methamphetamine (nearly 150 grams)
- 22 Firearms (three stolen)
- $10,808 in cash
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."
The 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.
“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," Prendergrast said.
The names and addresses of suspects were not released as it’s still an open investigation, officials said.
