'Enough to kill 1,750,000': PCSO helps arrest 11 in fentanyl, cocaine drug trafficking busts

The Polk County Sheriff's Office has played a role in two multi-agency drug-trafficking busts that seized more than 7 pounds of fentanyl and 30 pounds of cocaine.

Polk undercover detectives, working as part of the Central Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, announced Tuesday morning the arrest of 11 people in two different drug trafficking organizations. The two investigations took place between August and early January.“We are fighting a battle that we’ve got to win. Fentanyl is killing people by the thousands across the country," Sheriff Grady Judd said. "We have seized enough fentanyl to kill 1,750,000 people."

5 arrests in Central Florida drug trafficking

PCSO undercover detectives identified Pedro Luis "Bemba" Romero, 56, of Kissimmee, whom they believed to be involved in the sale of multiple kilograms of cocaine.

In November, the detectives arranged to purchase a kilogram of cocaine from Romero in Haines City, Judd said. The price set was $18,500. Romero brought Maximo Espinosa, 44, of Kissimmee, with him to the transaction.

PCSO undercover detectives decided to set up additional deals to see whether Espinosa would distribute more illegal drugs, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg said.

Handberg said Espinosa delivered a sample of fentanyl to detectives on Dec. 5 and sold a kilogram of cocaine for $37,000 two days later.

On Jan. 2, PCSO detectives arranged a meet up with Espinosa at an undisclosed location in Haines City to purchase two kilograms of fentanyl and 10 kilograms of cocaine from the trunk of his car, Handberg said.

"The deal did not end in the payment of any money, but Espinosa's federal arrest," he said.

Espinosa was simultaneously under federal investigation by FBI, as Handberg said federal agents had purchased cocaine from him in Kissimmee. A search warrant executed on Espinosa's home resulted in the seizure of an additional half kilogram of fentanyl, a kilogram of cocaine and two firearms.

Espinosa is expected to face federal drug charges. Handberg said these will include conspiracy to possess drugs with intention to distribute. If convicted, Espinosa faces a federal minimum sentence of 15 years to life in prison.

Romero faces at least three charges of trafficking fentanyl (over 28 grams), trafficking in cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

When Espinosa was taken into custody, there was a separate vehicle on scene that took part in the drug transaction. Pedro Mejia, 35, of West Palm Beach and Pedro Olivares, 22, of Wimauma are thought to be the fentanyl suppliers, Judd said. Mejia and Olivares have been arrested and both face charges of trafficking in fentanyl and possession of drug paraphernalia.

A third vehicle, a BMW, fled the scene, Judd said, striking the leg of one of Polk's undercover deputies. The vehicle was tracked visually using aerial surveillance into unincorporated Winter Haven, where the driver, Omar Veloz, 34, of West Palm Beach, was arrested.

6 arrests in Colon-Colon drug trafficking bust

In December, Polk detectives working as part of the Central Florida HIDTA task force arrested six people as part of a drug-trafficking organization that was selling cocaine, heroin and fentanyl, the Sheriff's Office said:

• Roosevelt Colon Colon, 29, of Poinciana faces first-degree felony charges of armed trafficking in cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Miguel Berdecia, 29, of Bartow faces one first-degree felony count of trafficking in cocaine over 400 grams.

• Jazmine Colon, 44, of Tampa faces two felony charges of conspiracy to traffic cocaine over 400 grams and child neglect without bodily harm.

• Omar Medina, 47, of Tampa is charged with a felony count of conspiracy to traffic in cocaine and a third-degree felony charge of negligent child abuse.

• Julio Arroyo Rodriguez, 38, of Poinciana was arrested and faces a first-degree felony charge of armed trafficking in cocaine and a misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Luis "Flaco" Salcedo-Rodriguez, 45, of Auburndale was arrested and charged with first-degree felony trafficking in cocaine and a misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Jan. 6 fugitives from Polk: Three held without bond in first court appearance after capture

"We rapidly got into the organizations and made the arrests when we made the buy — the second buy," Judd said.

He said Polk's undercover detectives learned Salcedo-Rodriguez was linked with drug trafficking in the county. They arranged to meet with him to purchase cocaine, Judd said, and Salcedo-Rodriguez then offered to sell kilogramss of heroin and fentanyl.

During the investigation, Judd said detectives learned the supplier of the cocaine offered by Salcedo-Rodriguez was Colon-Colon of Poinciana.

Undercover detectives arranged to purchase a kilogram of cocaine, then arranged a second purchase in December. The PCSO deputies met with Salcedo-Rodriguez, who brought along Berdecia in the BMW sedan. While they were talking, a pickup truck with Colon-Colon and Arroya-Rodriguez arrived on the scene with the cocaine.

Another vehicle later arrived with Jazmine Colon, Medina and a 7-year-old girl who was in Jazmine Colon's custody.

Deputies stopped all the vehicles and arrested all the individuals, Judd said, except for the 7-year-old girl. More than 2 kilograms of cocaine, $8,535 in cash and two firearms were seized during the arrest.

Judd said its thought the cocaine was coming into the country from Puerto Rico through Tampa.

Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545. Follow on X @SaraWalshFl.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: PCSO helps arrest 11 in multi-agency fentanyl and cocaine busts