PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (WFLA) — The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office arrested 54 people on various drug charges over the course of a 6 month narcotics operation.
According to a press release from the sheriff’s office, 54 people were arrested for dealing or delivering fentanyl and methamphetamine. The investigation resulted in 27 additional drug trafficking cases. Everyone involved was charged with simple possession, tacking on an additional 81 charges.
The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office said the operation took 1,000 grams of meth and 78.7 grams of fentanyl off the streets, which they claim is enough to end the lives of 79,000 people.
11 people are still wanted in connection to the operation, named “Operation Poisonous Fruit” after the “fruit streets” area of South Punta Gorda, where most of the arrests took place.
The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office identified the following people as wanted:
“Our community is undeniably safer due to the hard work of the Narcotics Unit and all of the other members who assisted throughout Operation Poisonous Fruit. We will continue to put these dealers behind bars until they get the message,” Sheriff Bill Prummell said about the investigation. “We will not tolerate this poison being dealt on our streets.”
“If you deal drugs in Charlotte County, we’ll take you out of your house and relocate you to ours: the Charlotte County Jail,” an unidentified officer said in a video posted by the sheriff’s office. “Dealers, we’re coming for you. We are watching.”
