Sheriff: Fentanyl seized in bust enough to kill Brevard County's entire population

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — At least 60 people were arrested in Brevard County's largest drug bust, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said Wednesday afternoon during a news conference.

Ivey said arrest warrants have been issued for 104 people for charges ranging from conspiracy to drug trafficking to racketeering -- the culmination of a six-month investigation.

The suspects were loaded onto a bus and taken to the Brevard County Jail on Wednesday.

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Ivey said investigators seized 75 guns, 9 pounds of methamphetamine valued at $81,000, heroin and 3 pounds of fentanyl valued at $100,000.

"When you look at what they've done -- buying toys, all sorts of different automobiles and guns and different types of toys -- they simply preyed on the addictions of others, and that's sickening to see," Ivey said.

He said the amount of fentanyl seized is enough to kill Brevard County's entire population.

The Drug Enforcement Administration estimates that a 2-milligram dose is lethal for most people.

"We want to tackle this head-on," DeSantis said of the nation's opioid epidemic.

The Brevard County Sheriff's Office said that county medical examiner records indicate that 650 people have fatally overdosed on opiates in the county since 2009 -- 172 of which happened in the last two years.

Click here for information about resources for opioid addiction.

Watch the news conference below:

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