Florida Bait Shop Turns Out To Be Family-Run Fentanyl Ring

Florida authorities on Friday announced 64 arrests after a 3-year operation revealed a bait shop and motorcycle parts shop to be fronts for a fentanyl trafficking ring.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office announced the arrests Friday, following a multiagency investigation with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement dubbed "Operation Rooske, A Family Affair," which began in 2021.

Organized Crime Unit detectives from the PCSO and FDLE special agents made multiple undercover purchases of fentanyl from the Rooske drug trafficking organization during the course of the investigation. The organization used the Rooske Bait and Tackle Shop and Rooske Motorcycle Parts and Accessories, both in Lakeland, as fronts for drug trafficking and money laundering.

Among the 64 people arrested were the alleged leader of the organization, 43-year old Hector Baez Torres, and his alleged co-conspirators: wife, Pilar Rivera, 41, their daughter, Jeimylee Baez Rivera, 23, and Baez Torres's alleged right-hand man, 24-year old Miguel Castro Rivera.

Wilfredo Feliciano Velez, 26, and Casimiro Bidot Del Valle, 59, were identified as suspected suppliers of illegal drugs to the Rooske organization.

Feliciano Velez was arrested by PCSO detectives while he was allegedly delivering three kilograms, or about 6.6 pounds, of cocaine to Hector Baez Torres

On June 20, authorities executed five search warrants in Polk County - Rooske Motorcycle Parts and Accessories, Rooske Bait and Tackle Shop, the residence of Hector and Pilar, the residence of Jeimylee and Miguel, and another residence - and one in Osceola County, at Bidot Del Valle's residence.

During the investigation, authorities seized 742.14 grams of fentanyl; 3,585.42 grams, or nearly 8 pounds of cocaine; 13.08 grams of methamphetamine; 57 grams of oxycodone; and 228.69 grams of marijuana. The sheriff's office said the estimated street value of the seized drugs is around $475,348.60.

Along with the drugs, authorities seized assets including $12,270 in cash; five vehicles worth $154,000; two personal watercrafts worth $15,000; dirt bikes and off-road vehicles worth $40,000; a trailer worth $4,000; bait store merchandise worth $35,000; motorcycle shop merchandise worth $55,000; jewelry/electronics/firearms/designer apparel worth $67,500; bank accounts holding $40,000; and liens on the residence of Baez Torres and Rivera totaling $200,000. The total value of all of the seized assets came to $604,770.

With the drugs and assets together, the seizures amounted to $1,080,118.60.

"In essence, this fentanyl trafficking organization was the family business. The motorcycle shop and the bait shop were corrupt businesses that were used as a means for money laundering," Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement. "Their customers weren't involved; they had no idea what was going on. In fact, the owners tried to project a wholesome facade while conducting their criminal enterprise behind the scenes until it all came crashing down on them, thanks to the fantastic work by our detectives."

The sheriff's office said "most of the arrests" were buyers of illegal drugs from the Rooske organization, which investigators used to build a case against members of the organization.

"Florida leads the nation in fentanyl seizures and this case is yet another example of how Sheriff Judd and his deputies are leaders in helping us remove deadly drugs from our streets," said Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody. "Working with Polk County Deputies and FDLE, we were able to seize 742 grams of fentanyl in two counties. That is enough poison to kill 371,000 Floridians, and I have no doubt that this drug interdiction operation saved lives."

--with reporting by TMX

Tags

Drug abuse, Florida