The drug cartels thought they were untouchable.
They picked the wrong state to operate in.
And Florida's AG just smashed a massive drug ring with one detail that will make your jaw drop.
Attorney General James Uthmeier held a press conference in West Palm Beach on Tuesday to announce the takedown of a sophisticated drug trafficking operation that stretched across seven Florida counties and into Virginia.
The bust wasn't just big — it was staggering in scope.
And where the traffickers set up shop shows just how brazen these criminals have become.
Flea market front hid multi-state drug empire
Operation Slow N Go, a six-month investigation led by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Division working with Uthmeier's Office of Statewide Prosecution, resulted in five arrests with more coming.¹
Authorities seized more than 2,200 grams of narcotics including cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, psilocybin, marijuana, and over 500 pharmaceutical pills.²
They also confiscated six handguns and several automatic rifles.³
But here's what makes this case remarkable — two of the main traffickers were running their entire operation out of a Palm Beach County flea market.⁴
"This is a good message to everybody that with our collaborative efforts, if you commit a crime, we will catch you anywhere, inside or outside the state of Florida," Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said.⁵
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and sheriffs from Okeechobee, Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties all contributed to bringing down this network.
The operation spanned Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, Broward, Okeechobee, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River counties in Florida, and reached Suffolk County, Virginia.⁶
Think about that for a second.
These traffickers were operating in plain sight at a flea market while poisoning communities across eight counties in two states.
Gary Devon West, Darryl "Unc" Butler, Andres Chaves, James Thiele, and Robert Townsend are now facing charges ranging from conspiracy to commit racketeering to trafficking in fentanyl and methamphetamine.⁷
Two suspects remain at large with outstanding warrants, and several more are expected to be charged.⁸
Trump Administration's war on cartels paying dividends in Florida
"If anyone traffics dangerous drugs like fentanyl into Florida, expect our Office of Statewide Prosecution to throw the book at you," Uthmeier said.⁹
https://twitter.com/AGJamesUthmeier/status/1985731471840039291
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw didn't mince words about the stakes.
"Those who choose to profit from addiction should know they cannot hide in our community," he stated.¹⁰
This takedown happened under President Trump's renewed focus on crushing the cartels that have turned fentanyl into America's leading cause of death for adults 18-45.
Since taking office, Trump designated major drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, giving law enforcement unprecedented tools to dismantle these networks.
The timing of Operation Slow N Go isn't coincidental — it's a direct result of Trump Administration priorities trickling down to state and local agencies.
Uthmeier drew the connection explicitly during his press conference.
"As you've got a president blowing up these fentanyl boats in the middle of the ocean, we're going to keep blowing up these networks right here in the state," Uthmeier explained.¹¹
Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Chris Nolowin laid out what investigators found.
"It stopped a large-scale narcotics operation that was selling narcotics out of multiple locations across the state, including the 45th Street Flea Market here in Palm Beach County," Nolowin said.¹²
The coordinated approach between federal priorities and state enforcement is making Florida inhospitable territory for drug traffickers.
¹ "Uthmeier: 'Operation Slow N Go' uncovers major South Florida drug trafficking ring," Local 10, November 4, 2025.
² Ibid.
³ Ibid.
⁴ "'Operation Slow N Go': 5 arrested in massive South Florida drug trafficking bust," NBC Miami, November 4, 2025.
⁵ "'Operation Slow N Go': Drug trafficking ring operating in Palm Beach Co. dismantled," CBS12, November 4, 2025.
⁶ "Uthmeier: 'Operation Slow N Go' uncovers major South Florida drug trafficking ring," Local 10, November 4, 2025.
⁷ "'Operation Slow N Go': 5 arrested in massive South Florida drug trafficking bust," NBC Miami, November 4, 2025.
⁸ Ibid.
⁹ "Uthmeier: 'Operation Slow N Go' uncovers major South Florida drug trafficking ring," Local 10, November 4, 2025.
¹⁰ Ibid.
¹¹ "'Operation Slow N Go' Nets 5 Arrests, 2,000 Grams Of Narcotics & Guns," NewsRadio WFLA, November 4, 2025.
¹² Ibid.
