POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd revealed the details of the largest seizure of fentanyl in the history of the sheriff’s office on Tuesday.
Judd said the case involved two Mexican cartels, ending with the arrests of six members from the Jalisco cartel and two Sinaloa members.
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“Our detectives and our agents from the federal, the state, and the local level potentially saved the lives of up to 14.5 million people,” said Judd.
The investigation began on July 24, 2024, with the seizure of eight kilos of fentanyl pills. Over several months, law enforcement conducted six operations, ultimately seizing a total of 35 pounds of fentanyl pills, equating to approximately 160,000 pills, said Judd.
“They came across the border in Mexico to Phoenix and ultimately to us,” said Judd.
On April 28, Judd said the operation seized 40,000 pills in Lakeland that were delivered by a member of the Sinaloa cartel. Judd said that the member was arrested on June 19 in Maricopa, Arizona.
Judd also noted that a recent decrease in fentanyl trafficking is due to increased border security and ongoing investigations. He also highlighted that between 2018 and 2023, 340,000 people died from fentanyl overdoses in the United States.
“Do you see anyone in the United States up in arms about that?” asked Judd. “Do you see anyone saying, ‘We’ve got a crisis on our hands?’ Do you see anyone saying, ‘We have an epidemic on our hands?’ Do you see it leading the evening news? And the answer to all that is no, no, no.”
Detectives worked with investigators from the following agencies:
- Florida Department of Law Enforcement
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (Tampa and Phoenix Offices)
- Auburndale Police Department
- Office of the State Attorney (10th Judicial Circuit)
- U.S. Postal Inspection Service (Tampa and Phoenix Offices)