Florida authorities have arrested nearly 50 people following an extensive, multi-agency investigation into drug trafficking operations spanning five Central Florida counties, officials announced.
The Office of Statewide Prosecution and the State Attorney’s Office for the Seventh Judicial Circuit filed charges against 49 defendants following the probe into distribution networks handling fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine across Volusia, Flagler, Saint Johns, Marion, and Orange counties.
The investigation, dubbed Operation Ice Breaker II, ran from the fall of 2025 through late June 2026. According to official reports, law enforcement agencies used court-authorized wire intercepts, pen registers, trap-and-trace orders, physical surveillance, and controlled drug buys to uncover mid- to upper-level distribution networks.
On or about June 30, 2026, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at key locations connected to the operations. Searches yielded illicit narcotics, cash, digital scales bearing drug residue, cutting agents, cell phones, and related evidence.
Lead agencies on the case included the Daytona Beach Police Department Special Investigations Unit and the Volusia Bureau of Investigation, a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force led by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
“This joint investigation dismantled a criminal organization that pumped deadly fentanyl and other dangerous drugs into Florida communities,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “Through the tireless work of Florida’s law enforcement, state attorneys, and our statewide prosecutors, we have arrested 49 traffickers and disrupted these networks.”
State Attorney R.J. Larizza emphasized the impact of illicit narcotics on local neighborhoods, noting that “exposing, prosecuting and eradicating the drug trafficking organizations is critical to making our communities better and safer.”
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood credited cross-agency cooperation for the outcome, stating that “Volusia County is better off today with another set of scumbag drug dealers locked up.” Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young added that the operation sent a message to anyone choosing to traffic illegal narcotics in the area.
Prosecutors highlighted several primary defendants identified as key leaders in the ring:
- Vetrick Maurice Shavers Jr. faces a first-degree felony charge of conspiracy to traffic 14 grams or more of fentanyl, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years and a $100,000 fine. He is also charged with two counts of trafficking four grams or more of fentanyl, carrying mandatory seven-year sentences and $50,000 fines per count.
- Richard Gene Hocker III faces conspiracy to traffic 28 grams or more of fentanyl, a first-degree felony carrying a 25-year mandatory minimum sentence and a $500,000 fine. He also faces charges of trafficking fentanyl and trafficking 28 grams or more of methamphetamine.
- Antonio Bejon Lee is charged with three counts of trafficking 28 grams or more of fentanyl, each carrying a 25-year mandatory minimum sentence and a $500,000 fine, along with additional counts for conspiracy and smaller-quantity trafficking.
Dozens of other defendants face charges including drug trafficking, conspiracy, unlawful use of two-way communication devices, possession with intent to distribute, and firearm offenses committed by convicted felons.
The cases will be prosecuted jointly by the Office of Statewide Prosecution and the Seventh Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office. Law enforcement officials indicated that the investigation remains active and additional arrests are expected.
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