Polk County deputies aided in the seizure of 64 pounds of fentanyl from two Mexican drug cartels as part of a multi-agency investigation.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd estimated the roughly 160,000 fentanyl pills and more than 30 pounds of pure fentanyl seized would be enough to overdose and kill about14.5 million people.
“We seized enough drugs to overdose and kill everyone in the state of Ohio or Pennsylvania, or everyone in the state of Illinois and have drugs left over,” he said at a June 24 news conference.
The operations were funded by Florida’s State Assistance for Fentanyl Eradication, or SAFE program, according to Mark Brutnell, special agent is in charge of Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Tampa field office.
The investigation resulted in the arrest of eight people on various drug trafficking charges with ties to the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels.
Sinaloa arrests
Polk deputies worked as part of a massive, multi-agency investigation beginning in July 2024 when the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force found fentanyl pills being disguised as oxycodone pills by the Sinaloa cartel.
Detectives worked to coordinate six shipments of these pills to be sent to Polk County between July 2024 and January 2025, resulting in 17 pounds of fentanyl pills being seized.
On April 28, undercover detectives me with 43-year-old Regina Headspeth in the parking lot of a Lakeland hotel, where she sold them 4 kilos, or roughly 9 pounds, of fentanyl pills in exchange for a partial payment of $55,000 in SAFE funds, the Sheriff’s Office said.
A warrant was issued for Headspeth’s arrest. A traffic stop in Phoenix led to the money being returned to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Headspeath was arrested June 19.
Headspeth faces one first-degree felony charge of trafficking fentanyl over 28 grams, possession of drug paraphernalia and maintaining a vehicle to traffic drugs.
On June 13, detectives arranged for 24-year-old Adrian Francisco Munguia to travel from Mexico to Florida to deliver fentanyl. The trip was delayed but ultimately on June 17, Munguia transported 9 pounds of fentanyl pills from Daytona Beach to Polk County, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Upon Munguia’s arrival, he was met by a team of PCSO detectives, FDLE agents and U.S. Customs and Border Protection special agents who took him into custody.
Munguia is charged with one felony count of trafficking fentanyl over 28 grams, conspiracy to traffic fentanyl over 28 grams, possession of drug paraphernalia and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
6 Jalisco arrests
In April, Polk detectives launched an investigation with FDLE, U.S. Border Patrol, Auburndale Police Department, the Office of the State Attorney for the 10th Judicial Circuit, Clayton County Police in Georgia, Forest Park Police Department in Georgia and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations.
A drug supplier in Mexico informed undercover detectives of a drug stash house in the Atlanta area where drugs would be delivered. In April 2025, 51-year-old Adalberto Diaz flew from California to Tampa, then arranged to drive to Jonesboro, Georgia, to pick up one kilogram of fentanyl, over 2 pounds, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Diaz delivered the fentanyl to Polk County to sell to undercover detectives, which was purchased using SAFE funds. He told the detectives to contact him if they wanted Diaz to transport or deliver more drugs, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The same Mexican drug supplier contacted Polk County Sheriff’s Office undercover detectives about the delivery of roughly 11 pounds of fentanyl concealed inside a car battery to the Jonesboro, Georgia, area. Special agents with HSI Atlanta observed a battery being exchanged with Gerardo Valencia Cervantes, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
“The battery still works,” Judd said. “They rigged the battery so it cranks the car. They take the battery out and deliver it to you.”
Cervantes was pulled over at a traffic stop leading local police officers and HSI agents seizing the car battery that contained 11 pounds of fentanyl inside. Two additional kilograms, or roughly 4.5 pounds, were seized from Cervantes by HSI in Georgia, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Cervantes is charged with one first-degree felony count of trafficking fentanyl over 28 grams.
In May, the supplier offered to have 11 pounds of fentanyl transported from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, to Polk County. Gloria Trujillo Duque, 44, showed up to facilitate the sale and collect the money. Once she counted the money, Duque contacted Miguel Estrada, 46, to bring the fentanyl to a hotel. Estrada brought the drugs inside a car battery assisted by his cousin, Maria Del Consuelo Alvarado Martinez, 40, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Duque, Estrada and Martinez were arrested and the fentanyl was seized. Duque is charged with one felony count of trafficking fentanyl over 28 grams and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Estrada and Martinez are each charged with one felony count of trafficking fentanyl over 28 grams, possession of drug paraphernalia and maintaining a vehicle to traffic drugs.
Undercover detectives arranged another meeting with Diaz to take two of the five kilos, or approximately 4.4 pounds, of fentanyl previously received to South Florida in exchange for a $5,000 transportation fee.
Diaz flew in from California with his daughter, Alejandrina Diaz, 30, where they met undercover detectives in Auburndale to take possession of the fentanyl shipment, Judd said. Instead, both were arrested on May 24 and taken into custody.
Adalberto Diaz is charged with two felony counts of trafficking fentanyl over 28 grams, two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and one charge of maintaining a vehicle to traffic drugs.
Alejandrina Diaz is charged with one felony count of trafficking fentanyl over 28 grams and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Another 29 pounds of pure fentanyl in bricks were seized in these two operations, Judd said.
PCSO in the SAFE program
To date, Brutnell said the Polk County Sheriff’s Office has had 13 approved operations under the state’s SAFE program.
In these 13 investigations, Polk deputies have aided in making 42 arrests and seized approximately 48.5 kilos, or over 100 pounds of fentanyl, and 12.5 kilos of cocaine, or over 27 pounds.
This makes up approximately 26% of the statewide total in fentanyl seizures made under the SAFE program, according to Brutnell.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk deputies help seize 64 pounds of fentanyl, enough to kill 14.5 million people, PCSO says
Reporting by Sara-Megan Walsh, Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
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