JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A major drug bust at a home in Northwest Jacksonville led to the arrests of six people and the seizure of 9 kilograms of cocaine, authorities said.
It happened this week at home on West 19th Street near Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway.
According to investigators, the drugs were discovered inside the home when Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office narcotics officers executed a search warrant as part of a long-term investigation into a suspected drug trafficking operation.
According to JSO, the home had been under electronic surveillance to identify suspects and vehicles used to traffic illegal narcotics, and several people were observed taking part in suspicious activity believed to be drug-related.
As officers raided the property, according to police, they arrested one of the suspects who was a driver sitting in a parked car. Police said the passenger of that car ran off behind the house and threw away a pistol before he was apprehended.
Two other suspects sitting in a different vehicle were also arrested, police said.
Officers said that when they executed the search warrant inside the house, they located 9 kilos of cocaine — which has a street value of about $900,000 in Jacksonville — and a large, undisclosed amount of cash. (For reference, 9 kilograms is about 20 pounds.)
Then, officers said, they arrested two more suspects who were inside the home.
If convicted on state trafficking charges, all 6 people arrested could face a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison.
And if the federal prosecutors decided to file charges, they could face an additional 10 years up to life in federal prison.