FDLE JOINS OTHER AGENCIES IN DRUG CRACKDOWN

Fifty arrests were made in Leon and 13 surrounding counties as part
of a major joint law enforcement effort that ultimately netted the
arrest of 757 people and the confiscation of nearly 5 kilos of
cocaine, 156 pounds of marijuana and more than $1 milion in cash,
the FDLE reported Friday.

The sweep by local, state, and federal law enforcement officials
arrested 757 people and seized more than 4.7 kilos of cocaine, 156
pounds of marijuana, 856 marijuana plants, 670 grams of
methamphetamine, 908 grams of crack, hundreds of prescription pills
and $1.16 million in currency. The arrests and seizures came during
a one-day proactive, national sweep to fight drugs and drug-related
crime, Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald
Bailey said Friday.

"This is a snapshot of the type and scope of activity that goes on
every day in Florida," said FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey. "Our
law enforcement agencies are constantly and tirelessly working to
take down drug traffickers and keep narcotics out of communities."

FDLE coordinated the state's blitz through its Regional Operations
Centers, partnering with 72 other local and state law enforcement
agencies. Teams and task forces statewide rounded up drug
traffickers, conducted highway interdictions, executed search
warrants, and dismantled methamphetamine labs during the
multi-faceted operation.

"This operation reinforces what law enforcement can do using task
forces to take dangerous drugs off our streets and out of our
communities," said Florida Sheriffs Association President Joey
Dobson, of the Baker County Sheriff's Office. "This should also
serve as a wake-up call to our representatives in Congress that this
power tool, the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants, is needed to
keep our communities safe. We need the active support of our
Congress to take the funding back to the recommended level."

The nation-wide effort was led by the National Alliance of State
Drug Enforcement Agencies (NASDEA). The event was designed to
highlight the effectiveness of concentrated drug enforcement and to
recognize the importance of federally-funded Edward Byrne
Justice Assistance Program grants in the day-to-day operations of
drug enforcement. FDLE Assistant Commissioner Ken Tucker previously
served as the NASDEA president.

Earlier this week, Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum joined
with 55 other state attorneys general to call on Congressional
leaders to restore funding for Byrne-JAG grants.