A large-scale drug investigation has led to the arrest of 10 people, several charged with racketeering for crimes including drug trafficking and money laundering.
On Thursday, July 24, multiple Southwest Florida law enforcement agencies gathered for a press conference to announce the results of Operation No Cap, which has led to a major drug trafficking bust.
When a criminal organization operating in the SWFL region was discovered after a smaller drug investigation in Cape Coral, law enforcement agencies coordinated with the state attorney’s office to launch Operation No Cap, one of many NETFORCE operations, Amira Fox, state attorney for the 20th Judicial Circuit, said at the press conference.
NETFORCE is a circuit-wide task force initiative to infiltrate and dismantle drug trafficking organizations, organized crime, racketeering and money laundering enterprises in Southwest Florida.
Operation No Cap was a multi-agency effort that has been active since 2024 and has led to multiple arrests and large amounts of drugs being seized, including:
Seven of the 10 suspects arrested were charged with racketeering, in addition to drug trafficking. Additionally, one member of the criminal enterprise has recently been indicted for first-degree murder for distributing fentanyl that killed a man in Cape Coral, Fox said.
“As you can see now, NETFORCE has expanded beyond drug trafficking to encompass anything that involves a criminal enterprise, and people will be charged as such,” Fox said.
When the Cape Coral Police Department’s own drug investigation led to a high-speed chase with a Lamborghini carrying fentanyl, guns and cash, law enforcement was able to determine that this criminal enterprise was involved in major financial crimes as well, including racketeering, money laundering and creating/cashing fraudulent checks, Fox said.
The suspects would also buy and rent out exotic cars, or use them for drug trafficking and other criminal activity.
Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore said that this case was heavy and difficult to investigate, and he recalls a conversation he had with the family of a victim related to the case.
“That victim’s family said to me ‘do whatever it takes so that another family does not have to endure the pain of losing a loved one to this poison,'” Sizemore said.
“When you see results like this, you understand that doing ‘whatever it takes’ is not just a phrase, but it’s a mission statement.”
Florida Department of Law Enforcement special agent Eli Lawson said that NETFORCE initiatives like Operation No Cap has allowed the FDLE to seize thousands of pounds of illicit drugs in the region. However, there is still work to be done, Lawson said.
“The fight is not done. We must continue our efforts. It’s not time to take our foot off the gas pedal.”
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno praised the multiple agencies involved in effort.
“We couldn’t do it without the team, the men and women of NETFORCE, the people that are out there, behind the scenes,” Marceno said.
“That is a very dangerous job, that is a very difficult job. They kiss their families goodbye and they deal with the worst of the worst.”
Marceno said that operations like this are monumental when it comes to saving lives, reducing the crime rate and increasing the quality of life in Southwest Florida, something for which many people have moved to the region.
State Attorney Amira Fox concluded the press conference by reminding the Southwest Florida community that criminal behavior with “deadly consequences” will not be tolerated or taken lightly.
“We will find you, arrest you and you will be charged, not only with minimum mandatory trafficking charges, but any other crime such as RICO or such as first-degree murder that stems from your criminal activity and your deadly choices. There is no place to hide. We are all watching.”
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: ‘Do whatever it takes’: Family urges authorities after big drug bust in Southwest Florida
Reporting by Tayeba Hussein, Fort Myers News-Press / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
