19 suspects, $1.5 million in drugs nabbed in Orange County fentanyl sting
A monthlong investigation into an alleged fentanyl trafficking operation nabbed 19 suspects and $1.5 million worth of drugs, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said Monday.
At a press conference, Sheriff John Mina and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the results of 'Operation Burn Baby Burn,' which included seizing six pounds of fentanyl and four pounds of cocaine along with nearly $49,000 cash and several guns.
While the arrests center around alleged traffickers in Orange County, the fentanyl is believed to be sourced from California and Mexico while the cocaine came from Puerto Rico, with two suspects, Juan Carlos Oquendo and Luis Perez-Guzman, spearheading the imports. The distribution network extended into Osceola, Polk and Hillsborough counties, prompting Uthmeier's office to step in.
The investigation began in September and was supported by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which helped fund the takedown through the State Assistance for Fentanyl Eradication program, also known as SAFE. Assistant Commissioner Lee Massie said the operation cost $1 million.
'When we say we want to make Florida the safest state in the country to raise a family, that is a promise,' Uthmeier said. 'It's a promise that we are only able to keep because of these guys. We've got the best law enforcement in the country, there's no doubt about that.'
Of the 19 facing drug trafficking charges, 17 have been arrested: Oquendo, 40; Perez-Guzman, 46; Kendrick Butler, 36; Jose Ayala-Rodriguez, 49; Wilfredo Serrando-Hernandez, 47; Denniz Andino Jr, 41; Edward De La Cruz-Perez, 23; McKenzie Debardeleben, 30; Anamaria Fuentes-Carrasquero, 46; Luis Gandarilla-Galarza, 28; Herman Toledo, 47; Xuxa Carmona Sanes, 35; Brian Nazario, 37; Molly Wilson, 32; Juan Gabriel Gonzalez, 41; Nolan Lavery III, 32; and Jose Vega-Ortiz, 50.
Valerie Multari, 39, and David Santana, 44, remain at large. All their names and faces were shown to reporters during Monday's press conference.
'Nothing makes me happier than when we look at these posters and know that our partners at the attorney general's Office of Statewide Prosecution is going to prosecute these individuals to the fullest extent of the law,' Mina said.
According to the Orange-Osceola Medical Examiner's Office, 341 people in Orange County were killed by drug overdoses, with 229 related to opioids like fentanyl, in 2024 — a 30% and 37% drop compared to 2023, respectively.
Fentanyl has been the biggest killer of any drug in recent decades, prompting authorities to ramp up enforcement and treatment efforts that they said prompted the decrease in deaths over recent years. The drop in overdose deaths is a nationwide trend.
Local enforcement efforts include the SAFE program, created in 2023 to provide resources and technical support to local agencies combating fentanyl trafficking. In its first year, the program received $20 million in funding to assist law enforcement efforts, then got another $8 million for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.
While the Florida Legislature continues debating its budget for the next year, FDLE Assistant Commissioner Lee Massie said the program's work will continue.
'To date, we have spent in excess of $22 million of the $28 million we've been provided,' Massie said. 'We plan on spending more in the year to come to continue to eradicate this poison from our streets.'
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