EIGHT ARRESTED IN GROW HOUSE SWEEP

Marijuana Seized Locally Worth $3 Million

Eight people who live in Lehigh Acres are facing charges today of
operating a grow house and cultivating marijuana. Two other people
who are being sought are described as "people of interest," according
to the Lee County Sheriff's Office.

The sweep to shut down marijuana grow houses in Lehigh came May 1,
and was referred to as Operation D-Day by the South Florida High
Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), in which Lee County took
part in dismantling a record number of grow houses in a single day.

Those arrested and their charges include:

[redacted]

Investigators said these four grow houses had a total of 159 plants seized.

Lehigh Acres in Lee County had the third highest number of grow house
sweeps in the state,, with 12, officials said. Only Miami-Dade, with
50 houses busted and 49 arrests, and Palm Beach County with 16 houses
busted with 15 arrests, were higher.

Statewide there were 151 grow houses hit with 135 arrests.

In Lehigh, authorities said 738 plants worth nearly $3 million were
seized. Statewide, authorities said 9,249 plants were confiscated in
grow house operations.

Sheriff Mike Scott held a news conference and said they were
supported by various components of the Sheriff's Office, four teams
lead by narcotics detectives followed up on citizen tips and
intelligence information.

In a statement released Thursday, investigators said narcotic
detectives swooped down on 55 residences on April 30 and as a result,
12 homes were discovered as active grow houses, while several others
were found abandoned or under restoration from what were once likely
operations.

The 738 plants seized in Lehigh weighed 1,400 pounds, investigators said.

Scott said the street value was estimated to be about $2,952,000.

"We're not going to tolerate this. We're going after these people who
break the laws," Scott said.

One of the homes although not operating as a grow house, turned out
to be an illegal dental office. According to investigators, it was at
1025 Milwaukee Blvd.

Investigators said Julio Cesar Santana, 64, of Miami, greeted
deputies at the door. The rooms of the home were crudely partitioned
with sheets of wood. Investigators said dental chairs, an X-ray
machine and other equipment were set up throughout the house.

According to a Sheriff's report, patients were even sitting in a
makeshift waiting room as detectives entered the house. The case was
turned over to detectives with the Sheriff's Office Bravo (East)
District, who along with a representative with the Florida Department
of Health, confirmed the equipment and operation was illegal.

Santana was charged with practicing dentistry without a license. The
Lehigh Acres Fire Department was called out to investigate the
solutions and chemicals, some outdated, that were discovered at the site.

The South Florida region has experienced a tremendous increase in
residential hydroponic marijuana labs (grow houses), according to officials.

"The statewide propagation of these operations is quickly reaching
the level of an epidemic and must be addressed accordingly. Not only
has the illicit cultivation of hydroponic marijuana become an
organized criminal enterprise, but it is now characterized with an
increase in violent crimes in the form of home invasions, armed
robberies, kidnappings, arson and homicides, all committed in the
furtherance of the criminal enterprise," according to the HIDTA statement.

"We intend to send a clear message to organized traffickers that
we're here to fight this blight in our communities and law
enforcement is unified in this fight," Scott said.

The Florida Senate passed a bill the day after the raids that will
make the owner of a home that is used as a grow house to be charged
with trafficking in marijuana. The bill notes the number of plants to
make the charge stick needs to be 25. The bill had originally called
for 300 plants as evidence. Gov. Crist is expected to sign the bill
and it will take effect immediately.

Charlotte County law enforcement authorities said two houses were hit
there with two arrests and 997 marijuana plants seized. In Collier
County, nine houses were hit with nine people arrested and 203 with a
street value of $609,000. Also recovered in Collier County was a
loaded rifle from one of the houses.