While Polk County is known for its strawberries, the area may not be as sweet from the outside as it appears.
It too has become victim to the opioid crisis and not everyone is getting the heroin treatment in Florida that is needed to combat the crisis. The result is a greater demand and influx of these drugs to the state and the area.
Operation Trifecta & The Polk County Drug Bust
Recently, seven people were arrested in what is now considered the largest drug bust in Polk County on record. Investigators discovered a connection to $4.9 million worth of heroin in the drug bust.1 Nicknamed Operation Trifecta, the investigation started in Southern California and led to the arrest of others in both Illinois and Florida. The police discovered that someone in Southern California was sending methamphetamine in the mail to Polk County. After further investigation, the California dealers were found to have over 100 pounds of meth in their possession and were arrested. From here, more information was discovered about other drug dealers around the county connected to the dealers in California, including those in Florida.An undercover deal led to the arrest of a couple in Winter Haven Florida who had over 3 kilos of what is believed to be pure heroin. On Thanksgiving, two brothers in Lakeland were arrested for possession of over 1 kilogram of heroin leading to what some are calling the largest drug bust in Polk County history. The two were also found to have almost $2,000 believed to be in connection with the drugs. In total, Operation Trifecta led to the seizure of over 5 kilos of heroin worth almost $5 million.
Heroin in Florida
This is not the first time that a large amount of heroin has been discovered in Florida and as the opioid epidemic continues to rock the nation and the Sunshine State, it won’t be the last. This influx of heroin is dangerous with the number of emergency department visits for heroin almost tripling from 2015 to 2016 alone. This number increased again by 22% from 2016 to 2017.2 To keep you or a loved one from meeting this fate, it is important to enter into heroin or opioid addiction treatment sooner rather than later. For now, we can be thankful that the drug bust in Polk County could be responsible for saving many lives from a heroin overdose and also revealed national connections for the drug trade.If you or a loved one is looking for a South Florida partial hospitalization program or other treatment plan, let us help.
At Banyan Pompano, we offer various programs for addiction recovery that focus on long-term success. Get started today by calling 888-280-4763.
Sources:
Alyssa, Director of Digital Marketing
Alyssa is the National Director of Digital Marketing and is responsible for a multitude of integrated campaigns and events in the behavioral health and addictions field. All articles have been written by Alyssa and medically reviewed by our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Darrin Mangiacarne.
