From Addiction to Cartel: A Case Study Into How Law Enforcement Is Tracking Opiates and Fentanyl

The Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation (MBI) is an organized crime task force based in Orlando that is comprised of numerous divisions. The Narcotics Division targets criminal/violent organizations that are fueled by domestic and international cartels. The Physicians/Pharmaceutical Crimes Division targets criminal healthcare professionals and the diversion of prescription drugs with an emphasis on opiates.

This session will focus on specific case studies of investigations that began with user amounts and, the investigative techniques used, and the agents' ability to follow the trail from the first buyer/patient to the source. The Narcotics Division case study will examine a violent Orlando drug trafficking organization lead my a man responsible for 10 local homicides. Agents discovered kilograms of fentanyl being shipped into Orlando on a weekly basis from a cartel source in California to fuel his organization. Rival gang members made three attempts on his life just during the length of the investigation, many of which were recorded. Rival members finally succeeding one week before the investigation concluded. The Physicians/Pharmaceutical Crimes Division case study will examine the tools used to combat pill mills in Florida, which became the nation's opioid epidemic epicenter in the early 2010's. The case study will detail emerging investigative trends that are used now in conjunction with PDMP (EForce). MBI worked these investigations in conjunction with the Florida Attorney General's Office. The prosecutor for these investigations will detail the prosecution portion of the investigation as it pertains to the effectiveness of the techniques used, challenges faced, and outcomes.