Starting at 3 p.m. Wednesday, scores of federal, state and local law enforcement officers fanned out across Key West in the culmination of the largest drug investigation in the city's history. Twenty-three suspected drug traffickers were taken into custody as of 10 a.m. Thursday.
Targeting four Key West and Stock Island drug trafficking organizations, the nine, eight-officer arrest teams executed federal arrest warrants, state arrest warrants and five search warrants. They also seized over a dozen firearms, cash and narcotics including cocaine powder, crack cocaine, heroin, Ecstacy and marijuana.
The teams consisted of officers from the Key West Police Department, a US Drug Enforcement Administration Mobile Enforcement Team (MET), the Florida Dept. of Law Enforcement, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, the US Marshal's Office, US Customs, and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
"Operation Sundown" was the culmination of a five-month joint agency investigation spearheaded by the Key West Police Department and a special MET team, known as MET II, based in Miami. They infiltrated those trafficking organizations, allegedly responsible for the distribution of crack cocaine and heroin in Key West and Monroe County, through undercover purchases of crack cocaine, cocaine hydrochloride and heroin.
MET II agents working with the Inspector General's Office, US Customs and the Key West Police Dept. have already arrested 22 suspects on heroin trafficking, crack cocaine and cocaine hydrochloride charges. Since June they have initiated investigations against 56 defendants and seized about $60,000 cash, four kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of crack cocaine, 11 pounds of marijuana, six ounces of heroin and four handguns.
MET II agents have also received vital information from confidential sources that will enable law enforcement agencies in Kendall and Pembroke Pines to identify suspects responsible for other criminal activity in their cities.
In May 1999, Key West Police Chief Gordon "Buz" Dillon asked the Miami Field Division of the DEA to deploy a Mobile Enforcement Team to Key West because of concerns over the recent increase in violent crime and open drug trafficking in Key West. "We have been struggling to keep pace with increasing street level drug trafficking and the resulting violence," Dillon said. "Limited funding, insufficient numbers of officers, and the inability to conduct undercover operations using investigators known to the traffickers, have combined to further frustrate our efforts."
The MET concept is specifically designed to identify, target and dismantle violent drug trafficking organizations, the Key West Police Department's request satisfied MET team requirements for identifying a drug trafficking organization with demonstrated links to violence. MET teams consist of 10 to 12 experienced and extensively trained special agents who have state-of-the-art technical, surveillance and documentation equipment. They worked closely with Key West police officers for the duration of the investigation.
"`Operation Sundown' has cleaned out just about all the drug activity in Key West, from the top on down. The kingpins are going to prison," Dillon said. "This is an historic opportunity for residents of our community not only to take back their neighborhoods but to strive with us to keep them drug free. Now let's get to work on that."
Prosecution will be turned over to the US Attorney and the Monroe County State Attorney's Office.