BOYNTON BEACH — A tip from a resident sparked a monthslong investigation into drug trafficking in Palm Beach and Broward counties and led to the arrests of 19 people, Boynton Beach police said on Sept. 4.
Over its 14-month run, “Operation Trackside” revealed an organization responsible for distributing fentanyl and cocaine in parts of South Florida, Chief Joe DeGiuilo said in announcing the arrests along with the seizure of drugs, guns, cars, a boat and nearly $500,000 in cash.
“This operation marks a major victory in our fight against the deadly flow of fentanyl and cocaine into our communities,” DeGiulio said during a news conference at police headquarters. “The success of this operation was made possible by the tireless work of our officers and the invaluable support of our neighboring agencies.”
The 19 taken into custody will face a variety of charges involving drug distribution and possession.
Investigators searched 15 sites on Sept. 3 in making 19 drug arrests
Investigators say a complaint filed by a resident in July 2024 led to the discovery of the drug trafficking operation.
“This started with just a simple handwritten letter complaining about drug trafficking on their street, and from there, it just grew,” Boynton Beach Sgt. Daryn Whitefield said. “We continued to investigate it, and we just found more and more people that were involved.”
A “pivotal moment” in the investigation took place Sept. 3, when Boynton Beach detectives and officers from other law-enforcement agencies simultaneously carried out 15 search warrants, leading to the seizure of six handguns, two semi-automatic rifles, 11 vehicles, 5,027 grams of narcotics and $426,026 in cash.
Boynton Beach coordinated the investigation with the sheriff’s offices from Palm Beach and Broward County, as well as police departments from Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Fort Lauderdale and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, among others.
According to published reports, the investigation also was connected to a SWAT unit raid on Sept. 3 at a home in Fort Lauderdale.
Police records show five defendants live in Boynton Beach and three each in West Palm Beach and Boca Raton, while others live in Lake Worth Beach, Mangonia Park, Riviera Beach, Greenacres and Fort Lauderdale.
Whitefield said the group was different from other drug trafficking organizations in that it had no clearly defined ringleader or hierarchy. Several defendants operated from different locations, he said.
“A lot of them had two different homes,” Whitefield said. “They have one that they sleep at and then they had one where they do their drug activity out at, whether that’s an apartment or condo. Some of them had two different locations that they would stay at or be paying for.”
Additional arrests are expected, Boynton Beach police said.
Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Boynton police: Resident’s tip leads to arrests in cocaine, fentanyl trafficking operation
Reporting by Julius Whigham II, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
