PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL — A two-month federal enforcement push in Palm Beach County has ended with 46 people arrested, 94 firearms seized and roughly 9.4 kilograms of illegal drugs pulled off the street, federal prosecutors said Thursday.
The results come from Operation Hurricane, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives–led initiative launched in May that focused on repeat violent offenders and illegal firearms and narcotics trafficking across South Florida.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones of the Southern District of Florida announced the results at a Miami news conference alongside federal and local law enforcement partners.
Of the 46 defendants, 38 face federal charges. Eight face state charges. Most are Palm Beach County residents, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The federal cases were brought by indictment and criminal complaint over the past several weeks, the office said.
Investigators seized 94 firearms during the operation, including semiautomatic rifles and handguns, along with more than 600 rounds of ammunition. Roughly 9.4 kilograms of illegal narcotics were also recovered, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine and other controlled substances, according to the release.
Where the federal defendants live
The federal defendant list is heavily concentrated in Palm Beach County. West Palm Beach accounts for the largest share, with residents there facing charges that include conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base, felon in possession of a firearm, firearms trafficking, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Other federal defendants live in Riviera Beach, Lake Park, Lake Worth, Belle Glade and Pahokee. A smaller group lives outside Palm Beach County — in Port Saint Lucie, Palm Bay, Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres, Daytona Beach and Fort Pierce.
Ages of the federal defendants range from 20 to 56, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The charges
The federal charges span several categories. Some defendants are charged only with felon in possession of a firearm. Others are charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including cases involving 28 grams or more of crack cocaine, 280 grams or more of cocaine base, 500 grams or more of cocaine, and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Several defendants also face counts of using, carrying or possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime — a charge that carries a mandatory federal minimum sentence on conviction.
A separate group of defendants faces additional counts of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and attempted Hobbs Act robbery, a federal statute that covers robbery affecting interstate commerce.
Two defendants — Derick Julien of West Palm Beach and Antony Stokes of Riviera Beach — are charged with conspiracy to traffic firearms and trafficking firearms, records show.
Agencies involved
Operation Hurricane was led by ATF's Miami Field Division, which the U.S. Attorney's Office said deployed personnel from across the country to work alongside federal and local partners.
Other agencies that took part included the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office and the West Palm Beach Police Department, according to the release.
The federal prosecutions are being coordinated by West Palm Beach Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam McMichael and West Palm Beach Narcotics Chief Daniel Funk.
Federal prosecutors said the operation is part of a Homeland Security Task Force initiative established through a federal executive order that combines resources from ATF, DEA, the U.S. Marshals Service, HSI and HIDTA.
Case status
All 46 defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Federal charges filed by indictment or criminal complaint are allegations, not evidence of guilt.
The U.S. Attorney's Office did not release the names of the eight state defendants or the status of their state cases. Individual booking, detention and next-court-date information for the federal defendants was not included in the announcement.
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