WAFC Local News – December 16, 2025, 8:32 AM
Transcript
I’m Charles Murphy reporting. A major drug trafficking ring impacting Belle Glade has been shut down. Operation Old School resulted in 13 different search warrants being issued and 33 total arrests of alleged drug dealers and suppliers. Officers say they seized 7.3 pounds of fentanyl, 3 pounds of cocaine and smaller amounts of PCP, heroin and pain pills. They also seized $179,000 in cash in the 24-month investigation. State Attorney in Palm Beach County Alexia Cox says people in these neighborhoods are starting to stand up for themselves. For far too long an entire neighborhood has lived under the shadow of a drug trafficking ring that has been pumping illegal drugs like fentanyl, cocaine, heroin and others into this community. That is until now. Today that operation has been shut down. Today residents, families, business owners begin to get their neighborhood back. Police Chief Tony Arrejo says this is just the beginning and they will be taking down more drug operations. If you’re pushing poison in this region beware we’re on 24-7 and let me let you in on something the community isn’t tolerating it. The Belle City Commissioner Hugo Vargas says the bridge outage last week shows that town needs to get a new bridge constructed and to work with the state. The city has been fighting with the Department of Transportation wanting a bypass to ease traffic congestion on 80. Traffic was backed up for hours last week as people were forced to use the Fort Denode bridge to get into town. The maintenance took longer than expected. Commissioner Hugo Vargas says this incident proves there is a need in LaBelle for another bridge. With the bridge going down and what we experienced and I would put everybody into chaos. People complaining about showing up late to work can’t get to work. I mean I lost business today because I had appointments that weren’t making it on time. They were 30-45 minutes behind. People were upset because Fort Denode wasn’t moving fast enough. Glades County deputies and state officials able to solve an arson from 2024. The Bureau of Fire, Arson and Explosives assisted in a vehicle fire on County Road 731 that broke out near Palmdale from February 17th of that year. It turned out to be a case of insurance fraud allegedly. The owner Osmond Lau is facing charges of second-degree arson and trying to defraud an insurance company. The Chevrolet Cargo Van 2017 model was found fully engulfed inside a cattle pasture. It appeared that the van had crashed into the gate and knocked part of the fence down and had been left there abandoned. The vehicle had been reported stolen out of Hialeah hours earlier that day. It was worth about $20,000. The owner had claimed that he parked it in a Macy’s parking lot. Street cameras provided key evidence in the investigation. The subject’s cell phone was also in the area during the fire. Some good news for your holiday bills as Florida gas prices continue to drop. AAA is expecting 7.5 million Floridians to take a trip this holiday. 6.7 million will drive. The Auto Club Group says Florida gas prices have declined for three consecutive weeks and the average gas price has declined 31 cents in the past 23 days. The average price in the state was $2.81 per gallon. That’s the lowest price it’s been since May of 2021. I’m Charles Murphy, WAFC News.
Recorded from the WAFC daily newscast (Glades Media).