Law & Order

(The Center Square) — According to state officials, a multi-agency Florida strike force has enjoyed a strong year helping combat human smuggling, sex trafficking, illegal weapons and illicit narcotics.

More than 40 human smuggling charges were filed while $2.7 million worth of illicit drugs were seized, according to a news release from DeSantis’ office.

Gov. Ron DeSantis stated in a news release that other states dealing with the influx of illegal migrants can use Florida as a blueprint in the future.

(The Center Square) — The Middle District of Florida United States Attorney’s Office has announced the results of an investigation into fraud related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In March 2020, the Middle District U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with federal, state, and local law enforcement, combined resources to form the Middle District of Florida COVID-19 Fraud Task Force to investigate and prosecute cases of fraud that happened during the pandemic.

(The Center Square) –  Leaders from Florida law enforcement agencies are praising Gov. Ron DeSantis’ fiscal 2023-2024 budget, which prioritizes public safety to the tune of several hundred million dollars. The budget allocates salary increases for correctional officers, enhancements to officer safety, and additional mechanisms to combat the fentanyl crisis stemming from the southern border.

The FBI and the Department of Justice are investigating the events that led TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to use the app to surveil American journalists, according to sources familiar with the departments’ actions. (Forbes)

Yesterday, Governor Ron DeSantis released the proposed Fiscal 2023-2024 Framework for Freedom Budget

By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor

(The Center Square) – Children under age 14 are dying from fentanyl poisoning at a faster rate than any other age group in the U.S., according to a new analysis from Families Against Fentanyl.

In the past two years, synthetic opioid (fentanyl) deaths among children surged.

The Marion County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) is investigating the case of an "abandoned vehicle" in Silver Springs that was destroyed by fire and which also had human remains inside.

On Wednesday, October 12, 2022, at approximately 10 a.m., Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) deputies responded to the 2000 block of NE 231st Ave. regarding a suspicious vehicle.

When deputies arrived, they located the abandoned vehicle that had been destroyed by fire. Upon further inspection, deputies discovered human remains inside the vehicle.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office is seeking any information from the public that can help to identify and locate a male suspect in an attempted kidnapping case.

On Thursday, September 22, at around 9:30 a.m., MCSO deputies responded to a report of an attempted abduction. The juvenile victim told the deputies that a man tried to force her into his vehicle while she was at a bus stop in the 14000 block of 202nd Terrace in Umatilla.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers had one main goal in mind for the July Fourth holiday weekend: to keep boaters safe.

The Independence Day weekend is one of the busiest boating holidays of the year and FWC officers, with the partnership of many other law enforcement agencies, were on the lookout for impaired boaters throughout the “Boating and Fishing Capital of the World.” 

Freshwater fisheries researchers and managers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) successfully released 3,300 hatchery-raised shoal ba