Governor Ron DeSantis announces record-breaking fentanyl seizures across Florida through SAFE program
Orlando, Florida – Governor Ron DeSantis announced this morning that Florida’s State Assistance for Fentanyl Eradication, or SAFE, grant program has achieved record-breaking results in its effort to combat the deadly influx of fentanyl and other illicit drugs across the state. Speaking at an event in Orlando, the governor highlighted the program’s dramatic impact since its launch in 2023, detailing seizures, arrests, and operations that have bolstered law enforcement capabilities statewide.
“It was great to be in Orlando this morning to highlight the result that the SAFE program has delivered throughout Florida. Two years in, the impact is clear: SAFE is boosting law enforcement resources, helping take down cartel operations, and driving record-breaking seizures of fentanyl and other deadly drugs,” Governor DeSantis said. “I will be recommending additional SAFE funding this year, and the legislature should fully fund this essential program that is saving lives every day.”
The SAFE program was created to provide critical funding to local law enforcement agencies, enabling large-scale operations aimed at dismantling drug trafficking networks and removing deadly substances from Florida communities. Since its inception, the program has been instrumental in taking hundreds of pounds of fentanyl off the streets, along with cocaine, methamphetamine, and other illicit substances.
According to the latest figures, 200 approved SAFE investigations have led to 2,127 arrests. Law enforcement has seized 485 pounds of fentanyl, as well as more than 63,000 fentanyl pills—enough to lethally impact over 100 million people. Other notable seizures include 545 pounds of cocaine, more than 300 pounds of methamphetamine, $4.6 million in cash, over 730 firearms, and 76 drug-related vehicles.
“FDLE, alongside our sheriffs and police chiefs, are making Florida the least hospitable state in America for cartel activity,” said Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass. “If you are pushing poison into Florida, FDLE will catch you, and take you to prison.”
The SAFE program has already yielded several high-profile successes across the state. In Polk County, Sheriff Grady Judd and FDLE agents seized 64 pounds of fentanyl in a single June operation—enough to potentially kill 14 million people. This seizure involved cartel members tied to both the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels and marked the largest fentanyl bust in the county’s history. Polk County alone accounted for more than 25 percent of all fentanyl captured through SAFE operations.
Elsewhere in the state, FDLE agents in Orlando, Jacksonville, and Fort Myers coordinated a simultaneous takedown of multiple suspects tied to a Mexican cartel, demonstrating the program’s capacity for multijurisdictional enforcement. In Orlando, agents arrested a high-level cartel member selling both fentanyl and methamphetamine, seizing 4.4 pounds of fentanyl alone—enough to kill nearly one million Americans. The same operation also led to the arrest of a former Colombian paramilitary leader and admitted murderer involved in cocaine trafficking.
South Florida has also been a focus of SAFE efforts. FDLE dismantled a fentanyl-laced meth distribution ring operating out of local motels, highlighting the danger posed by street-level dealers connected to larger cartel networks. Meanwhile, in the Panhandle, authorities apprehended a previously deported Gulf Cartel human smuggler who was transporting illegal immigrants from Cuba, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Colombia while evading federal oversight.
Several other operations underscore the program’s reach and effectiveness. In Orlando, FDLE partnered with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office to launch Operation Burn Baby Burn, breaking up a drug trafficking organization importing fentanyl from both Mexico and California. The operation resulted in 17 arrests, the seizure of six pounds of fentanyl, four pounds of cocaine, and an estimated $1.5 million in street value. Enough fentanyl was seized in this operation to kill 1.3 million people.
In Jacksonville, Operation Jacobs Ladder targeted a Gulf Cartel pipeline sending massive shipments of cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine into Northeast Florida. This effort led to the arrest of 14 suspects, the seizure of 164 pounds of cocaine, over a million lethal doses of fentanyl, more than 75 pounds of other drugs, a tractor-trailer, and 13 firearms.
Even smaller counties have seen dramatic results. In Suwannee County, FDLE and the local sheriff’s office seized enough fentanyl to theoretically wipe out the county’s population 43 times over, highlighting the staggering lethality of these substances and the critical need for continued enforcement.
Governor DeSantis emphasized that the SAFE program is not just about numbers—it is about saving lives and protecting communities. “These seizures and arrests represent real lives that are being spared from the horrors of addiction and overdose,” he said. “By providing resources to law enforcement, we are equipping those on the front lines to fight back against cartels and protect our citizens.”
Looking ahead, the governor announced plans to recommend additional funding for the SAFE program in the upcoming legislative session. By strengthening the program further, Florida aims to maintain pressure on criminal organizations, disrupt the flow of deadly drugs, and continue to build a safer environment for residents statewide.
The SAFE program’s success underscores a larger strategy to make Florida inhospitable to cartels and traffickers, combining state-funded grants, coordinated law enforcement efforts, and public policy initiatives. With the 2025 hurricane of fentanyl and other illicit drugs continuing to threaten communities nationwide, Florida’s proactive approach stands as a model for other states grappling with similar crises.
As law enforcement continues its work, authorities stress the importance of public awareness and vigilance. The SAFE program represents a multi-faceted approach—bringing together state resources, local agencies, and federal coordination to ensure that traffickers are arrested, deadly substances are removed from communities, and lives are saved.
In just two years, the SAFE program has proven that strategic funding, strong leadership, and coordinated action can achieve measurable results in the fight against drug trafficking, and officials say this is just the beginning of a long-term effort to secure Florida’s streets from the scourge of fentanyl.
