Date: May 1, 2019 Released By: PIO Tod Goodyear NR #
700 S. Park Avenue, Titusville, Florida 32780 321-264-5201 www.BrevardSheriff.com
BREVARD COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
SHERIFF’S OFFICE INVESTIGATION DISMANTLES MAJOR
DRUG ORGANIZATION
Today, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office culminated a multi-month investigation into
the distribution of Heroin, Fentanyl and Methamphetamine. Early this morning, Sheriff’s
Agents with the Special Investigations Unit, Fugitive Unit and Game Over Task Force
spread across Brevard County to arrest 100 members of a criminal organization
distributing kilogram quantities of the illicit drugs. Arrest warrants were issued for each
of the 100 suspects who have been identified throughout the course of the investigation
as sources or distributors of these deadly drugs. Arrests and search warrants were
authorized by the Honorable Circuit Court Judge James H. Earp and these arrests are the
culmination of a cooperative partnership between the Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration, the Brevard/Seminole State Attorney’s Office and United
States Attorney’s Office.
Opiate addiction is not unique to Brevard County and is a nationwide epidemic. The
illegal distribution of Opiates in Brevard County has led to ever increasing numbers of
addiction related overdose deaths. Medical Examiner records reflect that 650 people have
died from Opiate related overdose deaths in the past ten years. During the past two years
172 deaths are attributed to Opiate related overdoses. Many of these deaths are directly
related to Fentanyl, a powerful opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than Morphine
and 30 to 50 times more potent than Heroin. Fentanyl can be a threat to anyone who
comes into contact with it as it can be absorbed through the skin or accidentally inhaled.
Sadly, investigations have found that Fentanyl is becoming dominant in the opioid
markets because it is being used to lace a variety of other drugs such as, Heroin,
Methamphetamine and Cocaine, due to the high degree of addictiveness, which creates a
larger opioid dependent clientele base.
Sheriff’s Agents with the Special Investigations Unit conducted the investigation that
focused on the organization that was involved in obtaining large quantities of the drugs
and from outside the county and then distributing the drugs throughout Brevard County.
The investigation was aimed at disrupting the sources of dangerous opiate drugs that are
critically impacting our county and nation.
Seized during the investigation to date are 75 firearms, nine pounds of Methamphetamine
with a value of $81,000, Heroin, and three pounds of Fentanyl with a value of $100,000.
The amount of Fentanyl seized as of today is of particular importance, as DEA estimates
there are over 500,000 lethal doses by dividing the seized Fentanyl by a typically lethal
dose amount. The Drug Enforcement Administration estimates a 2 milligram dose is