Nine arrested in major drug sting operation

Reporter: Elizabeth Biro
Published: Updated:

Nine people are behind bars in a massive inter-agency sting operation. The undercover drug surveillance operation was led by State Attorney Amira Fox’s Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, also known as NETFORCE.

Law enforcement agencies searched homes in Lehigh Acres, Fort Myers, Naples and other areas of Collier County.

They walked away with lots of cocaine, fentanyl, marijuana, and weapons.

Investigators said it started with one man, Freddie Lee Miller, who was dealing drugs in both Lee and Collier Counties. The undercover surveillance on him led to the takedown of 8 others and a whole lot of drugs.

drug bust

“A very large amount of narcotics was seized and taken off the streets,” said State Attorney Amira Fox.

Nearly 4 kilos of cocaine, 90 grams of fentanyl, 69 grams of MDMA, 375 grams of marijuana, two AR-15s and over $60,000 were seized.

“We have proven once again, by working as a unified force, we will remove the criminal element that threatens our communities,” said Fort Myers Police Chief Jason Fields.

“Operation Miller Time” involved “months of investigation and surveillance by multiple NETFORCE agency partners, and in recent days, numerous warrants being served, and search warrants being executed” according to the State Attorney’s Office.

“Every single time we take drugs off the streets, we save lives,” said Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno.

drug bust

“Our partnership, at the level you see in front of you here today are constant, constantly sharing intelligence working in collaboration with each other to protect our communities,” said Eli Lawson, Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Since Fox created the program in 2020, it has taken enough fentanyl to kill 2.8 million people off the streets.

NETFORCE MEMBERS involved in this operation

  • Homeland Security
  • Florida Department of Law Enforcement
  • Fort Myers Police Department
  • Cape Coral Police Department
  • Lee County Sheriff’s Office
  • Collier County Sheriff’s Office
  • U.S Customs and Border Protection
  • ATF
  • Lee County Port Authority Police

This is NETFORCE’s fourth operation.

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