Over $5.7 million worth of illegal drugs were seized in a massive 11-month undercover operation in Flagler County, Fla., according to the county’s Sheriff’s Office on Dec. 8.
Dubbed ‘Santa’s Naughty Lil Sellers,’ the operation began in January and resulted in the confiscation of enough heroin and fentanyl to “potentially kill over 2.3 million people,” said the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office in a statement.
Arrest warrants for 35 suspects, totaling 58 charges, were issued. Most of the suspects are county residents, according to Sheriff Rick Staly.
Thirty of the investigated suspects face a minimum of one charge for selling or intent to sell illegal drugs, while the remaining face charges on at least one count of possessing illegal drugs.
Over nearly 125 kilograms of a variety of illegal drugs, totaling $5.7 million, were seized in the operation. The drugs included cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, morphine, synthetic cathinones (MDMA), morphine, suboxone, steroids, psilocybin (mushrooms), dilaudid, methamphetamines, and marijuana.
In addition, the Sheriff’s Office seized nearly $42,000 in cash as well as seven rifles and six handguns.
“This should also be a warning to drug dealers that, if you are not listed on these boards in this operation, I suggest you get out of Flagler County because you are next! And if you sell a fatal dose of poison, we will investigate you until we can lock you up for murder,” Staly said.
Meanwhile, the remaining suspects, yet to be arrested, were prompted to turn themselves in. Staly encouraged them to contact his office or “go to the Green Roof Inn on Justice Lane in Bunnell.”
“That way, you don’t have to look over your shoulder wondering when we will arrest you because I promise you, if you are one of these poison peddlers, we will get you,” he said.
Staly praised the efforts of those involved in the operation.
“I want to commend our undercover team, Special Investigations Unit, SWAT, Evidence, CSI, PACE Unit, our detention and booking teams along with our patrol deputies who were all involved in this 11-month investigation,” he said.
“I especially want to thank our community that when they saw something suspicious in their neighborhood, they said something. We investigate every tip, and today you see the results of your tips. We will never know how many overdoses or deaths we prevented with this undercover operation.”