JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Sheriff Office says it has made almost a dozen arrests in connection to a cocaine trafficking operation responsible for the distribution of between 15 and 30 kilos of cocaine per week in our local area.
In April 2021, JSO says it began an investigation aimed at dismantling and disrupting an illegal drug distribution ring right here in Jacksonville. From the intelligence JSO collected, police say they identified three main sources of supply coming from Orlando, Florida.
The individuals involved have been identified as Derek Morales, Omar Rodriguez and Israel Garcia.
JSO says these three individuals led very similar operations, and were the main supplier of cocaine for several trafficking organizations that were operating in Jacksonville.
Police say to add some perspective to just how large this organization was, JSO says investigators were able to determine that the three individuals were obtaining vast shipments of cocaine from Puerto Rico, that they had a network to move large quantities of this cocaine up the East Coast.
Police say there were also able to identify and arrest the key suppliers in Puerto Rico.