Dozens Arrested in Drug Volusia & Lake County Trafficking Ring

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Volusia Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday announced a massive drug bust in conjunction with several other local, state, and federal agencies. Over 40 people were arrested, and several more are wanted on various warrants. Some of the arrests were made as recently as Monday, the day before the press conference. Those arrested are accused of trafficking heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, opioids, and/or marijuana. Eleven firearms were seized, along with over $100,000. “We really made an impact on our community,” said a triumphant Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood. He was proud of the work of the dozens of law enforcement professionals who worked for the arrest, but still stressed the need to “secure that goddamn border” to keep more drugs from entering the United States. He followed that up with a colorful metaphor: if terrorists attacked somewhere local like Daytona International Speedway, the U.S. armed forces would bomb their home base with expediency, he said. He questioned why more wasn’t being done to the origin countries of narcotics like the ones recently seized. “They were bringing in six to eight kilos, conservative estimate, a month,” Chitwood continued. “One kilo of fentanyl produces 673,000 doses. As compared to a kilo of cocaine which produces 5,500 doses.”