'Operation Blue Christmas': Florida drug bust uncovers enough fentanyl to kill 800K people
'That's drugs that's deadly to us. It's certainly deadly to a toddler.'
ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. -- Five warrants at five homes in one week uncovered deadly drugs and guns in what a Florida sheriff's office calls 'Operation Blue Christmas.'
"We knew we had to hit them fast and we had to hit them hard, and we did that," said Sheriff Chip Simmons, with the Escambia County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff Simmons said his investigators recovered meth, crack cocaine, powder cocaine and marijuana. They also found blue methamphetamine pills laced with fentanyl, as well as bricks of fentanyl itself.
That 1,600 grams of fentanyl is enough to kill 800,000, which is nearly every person from Escambia and the neighboring county, Walton, WEAR reported.
Those findings come as no surprise in Escambia County, where fentanyl overdoses increased by 80% in 2021, killing nearly 300 people.
"We are committed to stopping these people that are ruining our neighborhoods," Sheriff Simmons said.
Deputies found most of that fentanyl inside one home, risked the life of a 4-month-old, Sheriff Simmons said.
"Conceivably, the baby sleeps right here," he said pointing to a crime scene photo. "You see this white stuff on it? That's not baby powder. We tested that. That's fentanyl. That's methamphetamine. That's drugs that's deadly to us. It's certainly deadly to a toddler."
Investigators also recovered 16 guns.
With many drug-related shootings injuring and killing people in the county, Sheriff Simmons said these raids help them pull guns off of the streets and solve other crimes.
"In the past, we've had made these cases and we have seized weapons and they've been reported stolen, and yes -- we've checked them and they're related to a certain shooting or a certain homicide," the sheriff said.
More investigation will reveal if that's the case with these guns.
Seven men were jailed from the week's raids and more warrants expected in the weeks to come.
"If you live in a neighborhood -- continue to give us the information, because this is what's going on. This is a Christmas present to these neighborhoods and believe me, it's probably better than any gift they're going to have," Sheriff Simmons said.
