CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. — More than $18,000 worth of drugs were removed from the streets of Citrus County during a recent drug bust operation that led to the arrest of 24 men and women, Sheriff Mike Prendergast said in a Monday news conference.
The month-long operation was dubbed "Deck the Cells."
During the operation, Sheriff Prendergast explained that 319 grams of methamphetamine, 44 grams of fentanyl and 45 grams of cocaine were seized.
He added that an "undetermined amount of cash" was also confiscated.
Prendergast said that out of the 24 arrested, there were a total of 117 prior felony convictions among them.
"These aren't low-level drug dealers we're dealing with and removing from our streets. These are criminals that don't understand that drugs are not acceptable, especially illegal narcotics of this nature and these quantities in any community in America," Prendergast said.
Members of a "Tactical Impact Unit" were sent across Citrus County over the course of the last month "purchasing illegal narcotics from known drug offenders," the sheriff explained.
Through their work, investigators secured 26 warrants. Those warrants were served in "less than 48 hours" last week.
Citrus County deputies were joined by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations and task force officers from the U.S. Marshals Service Florida/Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force.
While emphasizing the importance of removing drug dealers from our communities, Prendergast explained that there have been 81 overdose deaths so far this year in Citrus County with 341 total overdoses.
"With a little less than a month left to go, it's clearly evident that we're gonna eclipse our total for the number of overdoses in our community from last year," he said.