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FORT MYERS, Fla. — It’s probably the most great time of the 12 months for Southwest Florida narcotics officers.
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Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno mentioned on Thursday that two individuals had been arrested in a narcotics operation nicknamed “Operation Narco Navidad,” The Fort Myers News-Press reported.
More than $1.1 million in money was seized, together with 2 kilograms of cocaine and a gun, the sheriff’s workplace introduced in a Facebook post.
Lee County commissioners Kevin Ruane and Mike Greenwell joined Marceno as he introduced the arrests of Roberto Enrique Navarro Rivera, 48, of North Fort Myers; and Anibal Pagan, 49, of Cape Coral.
“Our residents’ safety is really important to me as county commissioner,” Ruane mentioned throughout a news convention. “I put my head on the pillow every night. It’s really a great investment to support.”
Last month, the U.S. Postal Service Inspection Service alerted the sheriff’s workplace of suspicious packages coming from Puerto Rico, Marceno advised reporters on the news convention.
An investigation led deputies to a storage unit in North Fort Myers that contained medicine, cash and the gun, the Miami Herald reported.
“When all these pieces were put together, all signs pointed to a massive amount of narcotics on its way to Lee County, Florida,” Marceno advised reporters. “My tactical narcotics team took the lead investigation and immediately went to work.”
Deputies arrested the 2 suspects after they picked up a bundle of cocaine, WFLA-TV reported. Marceno mentioned the bundle additionally contained fentanyl. The unit was allegedly owned by Navarro Rivera, based on the News-Press.
“The residents of Lee County can rest easy,” as each suspects can be “spending the holidays in the Marceno Motel,” the (*2*), referring to Marceno’s description of the county jail.
“Christmas is canceled for these two drug dealers,” Marceno mentioned in a TikTok video launched by the sheriff’s workplace.
Navarro Rivera and Pagan will seem in court docket on Jan. 9, the News-Press reported.
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