Florida deputies seize enough heroin, fentanyl to kill 2.3M people: report

FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. - The Flagler County Sheriff's Office said it seized enough heroin and fentanyl to kill 2.3 million people in a bust they call "Operation Santa's Naughty Little Sellers." 

The nearly year-long undercover operation was an agency-wide effort to crack down on what the sheriff calls "poison peddlers". 

Deputies say they seized nearly $6 million worth of drugs, including fentanyl, meth, and cocaine. 

"These dealers have sold their poison near schools," Sheriff Rick Staly said. "In some cases it was a family affair. We arrested the 2 sons/ brothers and a father that were selling poison. Two brothers in another case. The list goes on."

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The sheriff's office said thirteen firearms – seven rifles and six handguns – along with $41,989 cash were seized during the investigation.

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Eighteen suspects were arrested and deputies say they're searching for seventeen others. Sheriff Staly said they should just turn themselves in.

"That way, you don’t have to look over your shoulder wondering when we will arrest you because I promise you, if you are one of these poison peddlers, we will get you," he said in a Facebook post "And if you sell a fatal dose of poison, we will investigate you until we can lock you up for murder."