DELTONA -- The arrests continued on Friday when a spin-off from this week's massive drug bust in Southwest Volusia turned up another fully-functioning marijuana grow house on Friday that, all told, produced $5.5 million in marijuana, the Sheriff's Office said.
A total of 17 people have been arrested over the past two days following a series of raids that toppled a wide-spread marijuana production and distribution operation. Spearheaded by the multi-agency Volusia Bureau of Investigation, the raids were the culmination of an approximately 18-month investigation targeting a criminal organization accused of growing high-grade marijuana at a coordinated network of houses and then selling the drugs throughout Florida and New York.
Among those arrested was the main target of the operation, the reputed kingpin, 37-year-old Osmany Garcia, who's being held on $1 million bond on charges of trafficking in illegal drugs, possession of marijuana over 20 grams and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. Also arrested in the operation was Garcia's brother, 39-year-old Omar Garcia.
Following up on information developed from Thursday's raids, VBI investigators moved in on a residence Friday morning at 1255 Ravens Way in Osteen.
Agents dismantled a marijuana growing operation at the house and made one arrest. In total, agents seized 1,024 marijuana plants and 69 pounds of cultivated marijuana during the past two days, worth an estimated $5.5 million on the streets.
They also seized five firearms, nine vehicles and $27,000 in cash during the operation.
"Working with all of our VBI partners, we were able to remove criminals, drugs and guns from our streets," Sheriff Ben Johnson said. "By any measure, this was an extremely successful operation, and I'm very proud of the police work that went into this investigation."
Among those arrested over the past three days were three of the four main targets of the operation:
* Osmany Garcia, 37, Deltona. Trafficking in illegal drugs, possession of marijuana over 20 grams, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
* Omar Yoel Garcia, 39, Deltona. Trafficking in marijuana, conspiracy to traffic in marijuana, manufacture of marijuana, grand theft of power.
* Fernanda Lorena Bruno, 28, Deltona. Conspiracy to traffic in marijuana.
The following were also arrested during the operation:
* Alexander Aladro, 32, Deltona. Cultivation of marijuana, theft of utilities.
* Olga Calballo, 43, Orange City. Cultivation of marijuana, trafficking in marijuana.
* Eulis Garcia Columbie, 32, Deltona. Cultivation of marijuana, trafficking in marijuana.
* Raidel Curbelo-Roman, 43, Deltona. Manufacture of marijuana, trafficking in marijuana, grand theft of power.
* Branly Arguelles Garcia, 25, DeBary. Cultivation of marijuana, trafficking in marijuana.
* Zuniga Luis Lopez, 35, Orange City. Cultivation of marijuana,
trafficking in marijuana.
* Angel Louis Outerino, 46, Deltona. Cultivation of marijuana, theft of utilities.
* Luisa Outerino, 38, Deltona. Cultivation of marijuana, theft of utilities.
* Jorge L. Rodriguez, 47, Orlando. Cultivation of marijuana, trafficking in marijuana, grand theft.
* Elieser Curbelo Rosales, 33, Deltona. Cultivation of marijuana, trafficking in marijuana.
* Guillermo Rios Rosales, 59, Deltona. Cultivation of marijuana, trafficking in marijuana, grand theft of utilities.
* Ricardo Valdes, 42, Osteen. Cultivation of marijuana, trafficking in marijuana.
* Carlos A. Varela, 41, Deltona. Cultivation of marijuana, trafficking in marijuana.
VBI is a multi-agency task force that pools resources from nine local, state and federal law enforcement agencies in order to target mid- and upper-level narcotics traffickers as well as racketeering and organized crime. Participating agencies include the Volusia County Sheriff's Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Attorney's General's Office of Statewide Prosecution, Daytona Beach Police Department, Daytona Beach Shores Department of Public Safety, DeLand Police Department, Port Orange Police Department, New Smyrna Beach Police Department and the U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. VBI also is part of the Central Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, or HIDTA, which is a multi-agency task forceestablished by the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy to combat drug trafficking along the seven-county area hugging Central Florida's I-4 corridor.
All of the cases developed as a result of the operation will be prosecuted by Attorney General Bill McCollum's Office of Statewide
Prosecution.