Latest news with #FloridaDepartmentofLawEnforcement
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Miami Herald
Key West man jailed on charges of illegal child and animal abuse material
A Key West bartender is behind bars on charges involving child exploitation and animal abuse, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Jorge Tyler Perez, 28, is charged with one count of possession of child sexual abuse material and 14 counts of engaging in sexual activities involving animals — all third-degree felonies. The arrest follows a statewide FDLE initiative targeting individuals who exploit children and share abusive content online. The investigation began in November 2024 after the National Center for Missing and Endangered Children issued a cybertip indicating a Snapchat user had uploaded child sexual abuse material. Agents later identified the user as Perez and discovered he 'also uploaded videos of bestiality.' On Friday, FDLE agents executed a search warrant and seized an electronic device for analysis. Perez was arrested and booked into the Monroe County Jail. The Key West Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations assisted with the case, which is being prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney for Florida's 16th Judicial Circuit. Authorities say the investigation remains active and ongoing. Perez is set to be arraigned on Aug. 1.
Daily Mail
25-06-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Smirking cartel suspect, 30, arrested with her father in $4.5M fentanyl sting after flying in from California to seal deadly deal in Florida
Smirking in defiance, a woman 'member' of Mexico 's fearsome Jalisco cartel poses for her mugshot after being seized in swoops in Florida that have netted 64lbs of fentanyl. Suspected drug courier Alejandrina Diaz, 30, was arrested with seven other members of both the Jalisco and Sinaloa cartels who allegedly trafficked the killer drug into the US and across the country. All eight were seized in Florida's Polk County, Georgia and Arizona after six complex undercover sting operations in which detectives learned of shipments from unwitting members and played along before setting their traps. Three other women 'cartel members' were among those arrested in the dramatic $4.5million busts, announced Tuesday by Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. 'Our detectives and our agents from the federal, the state and the local level potentially saved the lives of 14.5million people,' he said at his office in Winter Haven. 'We will continue to go after these criminals to reduced the flow of these deadly drugs into the United States and Florida. 'They came across the border in Mexico and ultimately to us.' The war on fentanyl has been a central plank of President Trump's issues with Mexico along with immigration at the southern border – and his calculations for tariffs. A total of 160,000 fentanyl pills and 13 kilograms (26.8lbs) of the powered form of the drug were seized. Investigations resulting in the Sinaloa bust began in July, 2024 when the sheriff's office's High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force discovered counterfeit fentanyl pills disguised as blue Oxycodone in its area. These had been trafficked from the Mexican state of Sonora, which borders Arizona, through to Phoenix and then on to Florida. A plan was set and detectives were able to coordinate pill shipments to be sent to Polk County, the sheriff's office has revealed, without giving further details. The supplier sent six loads of fentanyl pills – approximately 17 pounds – up to January, 2025. These were all seized. Four months later undercover detectives met Regina Headspeth, 43, in a hotel parking lot in Lakeland, Florida. She allegedly sold them nine pounds of fentanyl pills for a part-payment of $55,000. She was later pulled over in a traffic stop in Phoenix by Homeland Security Investigations officers and the money recovered. Headspeth was arrested on June 19. In a separate Sinaloa sting on June 13, detectives arranged for Adrian Francisco Munguia, 24, to travel from Sonora to Florida to complete a fentanyl sale. Munguia had already come on the sheriff's office radar for allegedly flying from Arizona to Florida to collect the outstanding payment on the Headspeth deal. This time he allegedly took nine pounds of the killer drug from Daytona Beach to Polk County, where he was arrested by a joint team of sheriff's detectives, Homeland Security investigators, Florida Department of Law Enforcement and US Customs and Border Protection special agents. The sting operations against six alleged members of the Jalisco New Generation cartel began earlier this year. Some of the drug was being transported in fake car batteries to avoid detection. Investigations began after a narcotics dealer in the Mexican state of Michoacan told undercover cops about a stash house in Atlanta, Georgia, which was a hopping off point for drugs swamping the county. In April this year, Adalberto Diaz, 51, flew from California to Tampa, Florida, and allegedly arranged to drive to Jonesboro, Georgia, to fetch one kilogram of fentanyl for undercover Polk County detectives. Diaz told cops to contact him if they wanted him to transport of deliver any more drugs, the sheriff's office said. He then flew back to California. The following week the same Mexican drug dealer contacted Polk County about an 11lb shipment hidden in a car battery and heading to Jonesboro. Homeland Security Investigations special agents later saw a battery being exchanged and handed to Gerardo Valencia Cervantes. He was arrested in a traffic stop and the drugs allegedly found. Two more kilograms of fentanyl were later seized from him. In May, the same supplier offered to have 11lbs of fentanyl transported from Ciudad Juarez, the Mexican town directly opposite El Paso, Texas, to Polk County. He arranged for it to be delivered by a courier and the payment to be collected by a different person. Gloria Trujillo Duque, 44, is accused of turning up to facilitate the sale and collect the money. Once she had payment, she allegedly contacted 46-year-old Miguel Estrada to take the fentanyl to a hotel. Once there, Estrada is said to have brought the drugs inside a car battery, helped by his cousin, Maria Del Consuelo Alvarado Martinez, 40. All three were seized. Days before, undercover cops had re-established contact with Adalberto Diaz. They arranged for him to take approximately 4.4lbs of the 11lbs haul to south Florida for $5,000, the sheriff's office said. His daughter Alejandrina allegedly flew in from California as part of the transaction. The pair were met by Polk County detectives and immediately arrested. 'Sinaloa' accused Manugui is charged with trafficking fentanyl, having drug, paraphernalia, conspiracy to traffic the drug and unlawful use of a two-way communication device. Headspeth is accused of fentanyl trafficking and maintaining a vehicle to traffic drugs. 'Jalisco' accused Duque, Alvarado Martinez, Estrada, Alejandrina Diaz and Valencia Cervantes are charged with trafficking fentanyl.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Yahoo
Orange deputies fatally shoot man with knife who allegedly held girlfriend against her will, Sheriff's Office says
A knife-wielding man was fatally shot Monday afternoon by Orange County deputies after his girlfriend told law enforcement he held her against her will overnight, Orange County Undersheriff Mark Canty said. Deputies responded to the Isles at East Millenia apartments on Lake Fountain Drive after receiving a call around 12:45 p.m. from a woman who said her 57-year-old boyfriend was on drugs and had kept her inside the apartment at knifepoint since the previous night, Canty said at a news conference later on Monday. The woman spoke to deputies at the scene and said the man had threatened her with a knife. The deputies intended to arrest him for aggravated assault, but he barricaded himself inside the apartment. Deputies requested a negotiator and assistance from a SWAT team around 2:45 p.m., according to Canty. While negotiations with the man continued, the SWAT team positioned itself around the apartment. The man eventually exited the room he was in and moved toward deputies with a knife, causing two deputies to shoot him, Canty said. He was transported to the hospital, where he later died. The entire incident lasted 3½ hours to 4 hours, according to Canty. Per procedure, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting and will turn over its findings to the Orange-Osceola State Attorney's Office for review. The Sheriff's Office will then conduct its own internal investigation, according to Canty. The deputies who fired their weapons are now on temporary paid administrative leave pending FDLE's initial review. The Sheriff's Office will release body-cam footage of the shooting within 30 days.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Florida AG Announces 44 Arrests in Retail Crime Blitz
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced late last week that officials throughout the state arrested 44 people on retail crime charges and recovered $207,000 worth of merchandise. The state participated in a nationwide blitz on retail crime, the attorney general said. Police said those arrested stole 'a range of merchandise, including personal grooming products, clothing, sporting goods and home repair tools.' More from Sourcing Journal Majority of Americans Believe Tariffs Threaten Their Finances Exclusive: Over One-Third of Retail Execs Say They Will Adjust Pricing In the Face of Tariffs Majority of Consumers Say They Will Decrease Spending Once Tariffs Kick In Uthmeier said his office collaborated with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Florida Organized Retail Crime Exchange (FORCE) on the crackdown, and noted that he was pleased with the results of the partnership. 'Due to great coordination among our state law enforcement and Florida Organized Retail Crime Exchange, 44 criminals were arrested as part of a nationwide organized retail theft blitz,' Uthmeier said in a statement. 'The rule of law means something in Florida; this is another example of our state working with law enforcement to stop criminals.' FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass said the blitz further evidences Florida's status as 'a law-and-order state,' a reputation the Sunshine State has taken measures to uphold relative to retail crime. Last year, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a law tightening the penalties for retail crime in the state, after criticizing blue states like California and New York for leniency on theft. According to Capital One Shopping data, Florida retailers lost more than $5.4 billion in revenue to theft in 2022, and retail theft per capita in the state is 12.2 percent lower than the nationwide average. That same data set shows that the instances of retail theft per capita in New York and California are 18.4 percent and 17 percent lower than the national average, respectively. The law stipulates that anyone who participates in a retail crime operation inclusive of five or more people can be charged with a third-degree felony, with a punishment of up to five years in prison and added harsher punishment for those who perpetuate organized crime rings via social media. Perhaps most significantly, the law also enables officials to charge anyone who has committed multiple instances of retail theft in Florida within a 120-day window with a felony; prior to DeSantis signing the law, only repeat offenders inside a 30-day window could be charged with a felony. Uthmeier's office did not provide details about the number of felonies the arrested retail crime suspects have been charged with, nor did the attorney general disclose the retailers that were impacted by the alleged thieves' operations. R. Scott Shalley, president of the Florida Retail Federation, said the work the trade organization has done with various state agencies has helped curtail the effect of crime on retailers' bottom lines in the state. 'Florida's retailers deeply value our strong partnership with law enforcement—our most important ally in the fight against organized retail crime,' Shalley said in a statement. 'The success of this nationwide blitz, and Florida's significant role in it, underscores the impact of collaboration through FORCE. We commend Attorney General Uthmeier, FDLE, and all participating agencies for their continued commitment to safeguarding Florida's businesses, employees, and customers from these criminal networks.'
Miami Herald
16-06-2025
- Miami Herald
Ex-Hialeah chief asks to dismiss public corruption case, says due process violated
Hialeah's former police chief says Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents who took him into custody two weeks ago used unnecessary force and were overly aggressive with his wife. According to a motion to dismiss the charges filed in court last week, agents forced Sergio Velazquez's wife up against a police vehicle and ordered her to sit in a chair on the front lawn close to the road as they searched her home. The nine-page complaint filed in Miami-Dade Circuit Court says the former chief should have had an opportunity to turn himself in. Instead, the motion says, more than a dozen agents followed Velazquez in his car as he and his wife drove from their home. The couple were then stopped at a busy Miami Lakes intersection by agents who had their weapons drawn. 'It was a full-blown takedown/showdown at a Miami Lakes intersection,' the motion says. 'Brandishing pistols and rifles pointed at him.' READ MORE: Ex-Hialeah police chief busted for stealing almost $600k from city coffers, state says The motion also says investigators unlocked a safe in Velazquez's home and 'stole' a gold Cuban coin, a gold wristwatch and religious books, and that Velazquez's wife was told to unlock the home or they'd break the door down. And, it says, they took screenshots on his wife's phone against her wishes. Velazquez, 61, bonded out of jail after spending a night behind bars. He argues his Fifth and 14th amendment rights to due process were violated and that the charges should be dropped. The way agents arrested Velazquez 'was unnecessary, abusive and dangerous,' his attorney Rick Diaz said. 'There will not be a plea in this case. We're prepared to go to trial.' Velazquez has denied the charges. A spokesman with the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office refused to comment on the motion. Probe took three years and 100 subpoenas During a press conference at the State Attorney's Office two weeks ago, prosecutors said it took investigators from the FDLE three years and more than 100 subpoenas to uncover an elaborate scheme in which Velazquez stuffed safes in his office with petty cash he'd requested from the city's finance department. The money — which was intended mostly for undercover drug stings — was then transferred to personal bank accounts that Velazquez also controlled, they said. Investigators said they were able to identify as much as $600,000 that Velazquez stole in just an eight-month period from May through early November 2021, when he was relieved of duty by the new mayor. During that time frame, investigators say Velazquez made 62 deposits totaling $140,000 into bank accounts he controlled. Each of the deposits was under $10,000, enabling the former chief to skirt questions on the money's origins. Investigators believe the thefts could go back to 2013 and said there may be additional charges. Also mostly unaccounted for — Velazquez's arrest warrant says — is $1 million from court-awarded civil forfeitures and 147 checks totaling $3.2 million that was meant primarily for drug operations. Investigators say the former chief made some elaborate purchases during that time frame that included Rolex watches and goods from Versace and Gucci, though they haven't directly linked those purchases to stolen money. History of scandal This isn't the first time Velazquez has been rocked by scandal. Named chief in 2012, Velazquez climbed the ranks despite a string of disciplinary actions against him as a patrol officer. Some accusations led to an 18-month FDLE investigation over 'a pattern of criminal misconduct' that was eventually dropped for lack of evidence. In one instance he was investigated for dating a woman he met at the police station, who was hauled in for driving under the influence. Another time, he was alleged to have torched the vehicle of a man whose former girlfriend was dating Velazquez. He was also heavily criticized for the way he dealt with Jesus Menocal Jr., a former Hialeah police sergeant who was sent to prison for three years in 2022 after pleading guilty to using his badge to force women into having sex with him. Years before Menocal's guilty plea, Velazquez left him patrolling, despite complaints of sexual assaults from four women, one a minor.
