44 Arrested In Operation Meth Death Peddlers: Polk County Sheriff

LAKELAND, FL — A total of 44 people have been charged with various drug-related offenses during a more than year-long investigation dubbed "Operation Meth Death Peddlers," according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

"These drug dealers have blood on their hands. They make money off of the misery of others," said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd in announcing the arrests at a news conference Wednesday. "They use violence as a means to enforce their business rules. Everything about what they do is violent to our communities and our quality of life."

Judd said some of the people arrested were suspected of trafficking multi-kilo shipments of methamphetamine. In 2017, the last complete year for which there is data, there were a combined 68 meth-related deaths in Polk, Hardee and Highlands County, contributing to 858 meth-related deaths across Florida that same year, according to Judd.

"There's going to be probably that or close to 1,000 that died in '18," the sheriff said.

The sheriff's office said that the investigation resulted in multiple warrants, the seizure of 50 pounds of methamphetamine with a street value of $1.4 million, $50,000 cash and assets as well as the seizure of four firearms.

"I love it when people tell us this is low-level, non-violent crime," Judd said, holding two of the handguns to make his point. "They're just gun collectors I guess."

Acencion Zarate-Najera of Davenport was described by Judd as the "CEO of a huge multi-million- dollar meth ring." He was charged with conspiracy to traffic in meth, conspiracy to traffic in heroin and lesser offenses.

Judd said George Lopez is also suspected of multi-kilo trafficking in meth. The sheriff's office said Lopez is in a relationship with Cira Zarate-Bermudez, who is also the daughter of Zarate-Najera. Lopez was charged with armed trafficking in meth and other offenses, while his girlfriend was identified as a suspected money runner for the organization and charged with conspiracy to traffic meth and other offenses.

"He has roosters and he buries his cash in the backyard," Judd said of Zarate-Najera, adding that investigators discovered some members of Zarate-Najera's family were receiving federal assistance.

"His roosters were scratching and pecking and digging up the money," said Judd.

The 44 suspects are collectively charged with 85 felonies and 50 misdemeanors, according to the sheriff's office, which said the investigation initially focused on 45-year-old Acencion Zarate-Najera.

Detectives subsequently learned that the meth was being brought in from Mexico to California and then found its way to Polk County and other areas of the United States, including Texas, Georgia and South Carolina.

Watch Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd's entire news conference below:

The investigation was conducted by the Polk County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force as well as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Office of State Attorney Brian Haas and U.S. Border Patrol. The task force includes representatives of the Bartow Police Department, Haines City Police Department and Lake Wales Police Department.

"Of those arrested, nine are in the country illegally and one was previously deported back to Mexico and has a Polk County warrant for his arrest," said the sheriff's office.

Judd took issue with efforts by some Florida lawmakers to "release drug traffickers early from prison, lower their sentences, or avoid putting them in prison altogether,"saying that drug traffickers routinely engage in violence.