$3.5M FL Drug Bust: 5 Charged With Trafficking Fentanyl In Polk Co.

LAKELAND, FL — Four people were arrested, and a fifth suspect is at large, after Polk County authorities said fentanyl worth $3.5 million was recently seized.

Authorities first began investigating a suspected drug organization allegedly from Mexico in August 2023, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said Friday.

Early in the probe, two kilograms of fentanyl were delivered from a suspected trafficker in Mexico to detectives, authorities said.

Then, on April 5, a second delivery for one kilogram of fentanyl was set for an in-person transaction at a Lakeland motel, authorities said.

"The success of the transaction in Lakeland led to another delivery; the trafficking organization agreed to ship 11 more kilograms of fentanyl to Polk County," authorities said in a news release.

Four suspects arrived on April 22 at a pre-arranged site in Polk County and were arrested, authorities said.

Authorities identified them as Maria Machuca-Alderete, 29, Maria Guadalupe-Garcia, 48, Sergio Garcia, 52, and Pedro Rodriguez-Correa, 31. A fifth person, who has not been named, remains at large, authorities said.

Rodriguez-Correa, identified by authorities as the group's driver, was accused of bringing along a 6-year-old boy to the delivery. The Florida Department of Children and Families took custody of the boy, authorities said.

Machuca-Alderete and Rodriguez-Correa were accused of unlawfully being in the U.S. and is being held for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, authorities said.

Two vehicles and $5,461 in cash, along with 14 kilograms of fentanyl, were seized in the arrest, authorities said.

Aside from Florida, authorities said the suspected drug trafficking operation took place in Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina and Texas.

“Fentanyl is an enormous threat to Americans today. In addition to the tens of thousands who are killed by fentanyl-related drug overdoses each year, there is also great damage done to families and communities," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a news release.

"I am confident that with the arrests and seizures made during this investigation, many lives have been saved in Polk County and beyond, but more work needs to be done at the southern border to cut-off the supply into the United States.”

The four people were arrested on suspicion of the following charges, per authorities:

Machuca-Alderete: trafficking fentanyl over 28 grams, maintain vehicle to traffic drugs, resist officer with violence, battery on law enforcement officer, unlawful use 2-way communication device and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Guadalupe-Garcia: trafficking fentanyl over 28 grams, maintain vehicle to traffic drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Garcia: trafficking fentanyl over 28 grams, maintain vehicle to traffic drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Rodriguez-Correa: trafficking fentanyl over 28 grams, unlawful use 2-way communication device and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Unnamed fifth suspect: trafficking fentanyl over 28 grams, maintain vehicle to traffic, possession of drug paraphernalia.