In a recent development, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has lauded the efforts of law enforcement in seizing a substantial haul of 15,000 pills, camouflaged as OxyContin, from Fentanyl traffickers.
The Governor has pledged to relentlessly pursue those involved in the illegal trade of this deadly drug.
"Fentanyl flowing over our southern border is a direct result of the Biden Border Crisis and in Florida, we will not allow it to take the lives of innocent people," DeSantis communicated to Fox News Digital. He further emphasized the state's commitment to eradicating the drug menace, stating, "In Florida, we will hunt down anyone who brings Fentanyl into our communities and puts lives at risk."
The Governor, who is also a contender for the 2024 Republican White House nomination, expressed his gratitude to the officers who prioritized community safety and apprehended the criminals.
The seizure took place after the Florida Highway Patrol Criminal Interdiction Unit arrested a suspect in Osceola County. The state reports that troopers intercepted a recklessly driven white Mercedes, which was speeding over 100 miles per hour, colliding with other vehicles, and driving on the wrong side of the highway. The driver, identified as Jonathan Nicola, was apprehended for traffic offenses following a crash.
A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a loaded handgun, drug paraphernalia, and 15,000 pills in a vacuum-sealed bag. The vehicle was later confirmed to be stolen. Nicola now faces charges of drug trafficking and possession, as well as vehicle and weapons charges.
Illicit Fentanyl, primarily produced in Mexico using Chinese precursors, is often smuggled across the U.S. land border. While most seizures occur at ports of entry, officials have expressed concern about Fentanyl being smuggled between ports and past overburdened Border Patrol agents grappling with a historic migrant crisis.
"Despite the unabated flow of Fentanyl flowing into our nation through the open southern border, State Troopers wake up every day willingly putting themselves in high-risk situations like this, so that they can put evil people behind bars," stated Dave Kerner, Florida Dept. of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Executive Director. He further pledged that the Florida Highway Patrol would not back down from Governor DeSantis's mission to ensure community safety and combat the devastation caused by drug cartels.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that of the over 107,000 overdose deaths in 2021, 75% involved an opioid. Fentanyl, which is 50 times stronger than heroin, can be lethal in minuscule doses. It is often mixed with, or disguised as, other drugs, leaving users unaware of its ingestion.
The Biden administration attributes the increase in drug seizures to improved screening and technology at ports of entry and has called for additional funding. However, Republicans argue that the surge is due to the border crisis, suggesting that more of the drug could be slipping through.
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