BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. —
Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the arrests of 25 individuals Tuesday during a press conference at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement office in Boynton Beach, detailing a major drug bust spanning Palm Beach, St. Lucie and Broward counties.
During the press conference, Uthmeier said the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office led the operation, which resulted in the seizure of 84 grams of fentanyl, 2.5 pounds of methamphetamine and more than 45 kilograms of cocaine. He added that investigators believe the cocaine was transported from California in truckloads.
“These were wholesalers. These were large-scale traffickers pushing massive amounts of drugs through our communities. We’ve stopped them. We’ve taken them down. They’re not going to be able to hurt our families and our kids again,” Uthmeier said.
The operation, named “Ice-Breaker” after the street name for methamphetamine, involved multiple agencies executing warrants over the weekend. The arrests led to charges including conspiracy to commit racketeering and drug trafficking. Four of the suspects face mandatory minimum sentences of 15 years for trafficking charges.
Officials from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and the Healthcare District of Palm Beach County joined the press conference, emphasizing the importance of the operation.
Uthmeier said the suspects, who are currently facing state-level charges, may eventually face federal charges as well.
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