By Joanna Putman
Police1
POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced a seizure of enough fentanyl to kill 5 million people, The Hill reported.
“They tried to treat us with fentanyl, and we tricked them with an arrest,” Sheriff Grady Judd said during a Tuesday press conference.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday that three people were arrested for their part in a drug trafficking operation that transported fentanyl from the Sinaloa Cartel to Compton, California, before making it to Florida, according to the report.
The three suspects were identified as Juan Manuel Gutierrez Medina, 55; Ruperto Rocha, 65; and Juan Gutierrez Contreras, 25. Undercover detectives conducted controlled purchases from the suspected dealers, obtaining about 10 kilograms of fentanyl throughout the operation.
“Ten kilograms is enough fentanyl to kill 5 million people if taken in overdose amounts,” Judd said. “These drugs are extremely dangerous.”
NEXT: In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley speaks with Mike Sena, Executive Director of the Northern California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area and the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center, who provides a candid look into the ongoing fight against drug trafficking organizations and the societal impacts of drug-related crime. Can we turn the tide? Listen to the full podcast to find out.