MIAMI.- Florida Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins announced that a joint operation between the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) managed to intercept a shipment of approximately 173 kilograms of cocaine, valued at 17.3 million, during an operation carried out on October 5, 2025 on the Florida Turnpike, in the south of the state.
According to the press release this Wednesday, October 15, the action occurred after the DEA office in West Palm Beach alerted the FHP about a suspicious cargo truck transporting narcotics from the Mexico-Texas border to southern Florida.
The operation
Agents from the FHP’s Criminal Interdiction Unit (CIU) located the vehicle and conducted a legal inspection stop, where they discovered a hidden compartment with several bags full of cocaine.
The truck’s occupants were arrested and taken into federal custody, including one who had previously been deported from the United States.
The seizure adds to the achievements of law enforcement in Florida in their fight against drug trafficking, the document highlights.
Since 2019, the Florida Highway Patrol has recovered more than 14,000 kilograms of illegal narcotics, including 925 kilograms of cocaine, 23.5 of fentanyl, 14 of heroin, 9,600 of marijuana and 19 of MDMA.
Official reactions
“Under Governor DeSantis’ leadership, Florida continues to be a national model for law and order,” said Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins, noting that the operation demonstrates the state’s commitment to stopping drugs before they reach communities.
“Our message to traffickers is clear: do not bring your poison into our state. We will find you, we will arrest you and we will always be on the front lines to protect Floridians,” Collins stressed.
For his part, executive director Dave Kerner highlighted the coordination between federal and state agencies. “Under President Trump and Governor DeSantis, law enforcement cooperation has never been better. With the southern border closed, cartels can no longer easily cross with drugs and weapons. This allows us to investigate the supply chain to its source and attack the source of evil: the cartels and their resources.”
Cooperation and surveillance
The Florida government reiterated that it will continue to act with firmness, interagency cooperation and constant vigilance to dismantle drug trafficking networks and ensure that no criminal organization finds refuge in the Sunshine State.
