Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the arrests of five individuals in connection with a major drug trafficking operation in Palm Beach County, Florida. The investigation, called “Operation Slow N Go,” led to the seizure of various narcotics including cocaine, fentanyl, xylazine, psilocybin, marijuana, methamphetamine, testosterone, alprazolam, and pharmaceutical pills. Authorities also confiscated six handguns, several automatic rifles, 2,262 grams of narcotics and 500 pharmaceutical pills.
“If anyone traffics dangerous drugs like fentanyl into Florida, expect our Office of Statewide Prosecution to throw the book at you,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “This case is further proof that Florida has the best sheriffs in the nation, and thanks to their partnership, we have fewer criminals on the street and less fentanyl in our communities.”
Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek commented on law enforcement collaboration: “This is a good message to everybody that with our collaborative efforts, if you vomit a crime we will catch you anywhere, inside or outside the state of Florida. We have broken down the barriers of the jurisdictional boundaries to protect the residents of Florida. This case exemplifies our working relationship and our resolve to catch bad guys everywhere.”
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw emphasized accountability for drug traffickers: “Those who choose to profit from addiction should know they cannot hide in our community. We will aggressively pursue anyone trafficking fentanyl and other deadly substances. We remain committed to protecting our residents and holding drug traffickers accountable.”
Okeechobee County Sheriff Noel E. Stephen noted the importance of joint investigations: “The baseline of any law enforcement agency is investigation. When you’re able to do that on a large scale — across multiple agencies — it takes specialized personnel to operate and maintain that level of work here. Together, we’ve removed dangerous drugs, weapons, and people from our streets. We’re proud of the role we played, and we sincerely thank all of the partnering organizations for their support and commitment to this mission.”
West Palm Beach Police Department Assistant Chief Al Musco highlighted interagency cooperation: “This unprecedented collaboration amongst these agencies is what helped remove these criminals from our streets. This is a testament to what we can accomplish when we work together to protect our communities.”
The six-month investigation was led by Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division alongside Attorney General Uthmeier’s Office of Statewide Prosecution with assistance from federal and local agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office and West Palm Beach Police Department.
Investigators discovered two members sold drugs out of a local flea market in Palm Beach County as part of distributing narcotics throughout South Florida. The ring operated across several counties—Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, Broward, Okeechobee, Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River—in addition to Suffolk County in Virginia.
Charges filed against defendants include conspiracy to commit racketeering; trafficking in fentanyl; trafficking methamphetamine; delivery charges related to both substances; possession with intent; conspiracy charges for delivery; unlawful use of communication devices; among others.
Senior Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Chris Olowin along with Assistant Statewide Prosecutors Monique Wilson and Joshua Dockus are handling prosecution efforts for this case.
There are currently two outstanding warrants related to this operation with additional arrests expected.
