Operation Overdrive Tampa targeted areas hardest hit by drug trafficking and violent crime
TAMPA, Fla. - Law enforcement officials now have the results of a six-month operation that targeted areas in Tampa that are the hardest hit by drug trafficking and violent crime.
According to Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw, in the four months after ‘Operation Overdrive Tampa’ the city had fewer homicides, violent crimes, overdose deaths, and Narcan deployments.
Operation Overdrive Tampa was a joint initiative that was made up of multiple investigations running from October 2022 through March 2023.
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According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, Tampa was selected because it had seen an increase in violent crime and overdose deaths. In the span of the operation, 22 arrests were made across Tampa.
Edward Verdi-Bruno, who owned a car wash on South 22nd Street in the Palmetto Beach neighborhood, was one of those arrested in the operation. Federal agents said he sold kilos of cocaine and fentanyl out of the car wash, which has since been shut down.
"They were doing, from what we could tell, a brisk business," said US Attorney Roger Handberg.
In March 2022, documents said detectives intercepted packages that were headed for Bruno's home a few blocks away from the car wash. It led to the arrests of Bruno and seven other associates who face decades in prison. Handberg said Tuesday that Bruno will be locked up for more than 20 years.
Chief Bercaw said the operation, combined with the Tampa Police Department’s crime-reduction efforts, the number of homicides dropped in Tampa by 13% in 2023. He also said there was a 17% decrease in gun crimes.
He added that law enforcement officers seized 34 pounds of drugs, including fentanyl, meth, and cocaine during the operation.
"Roughly 21,000 deadly doses of fentanyl and roughly 9,500 deadly doses of meth have been removed from the streets of Tampa," Bercaw said.
In addition to drugs, Bercaw saw officers also seized 28 firearms, ammunition, cash, and packaging material.
"Think about that. How many lives are being saved just because of this operation? In addition to that, holding those accountable and making the arrests of those drug trafficking operations, 12 out of 13 of our primary targets were arrested. Twenty additional secondary targets were arrested."
TPD said calls for overdoses immediately fell by 30% and overdose deaths by 50%.
"We have seized enough fentanyl in our federal cases and our related law enforcement operations to kill every single person in this district five times over," said Handberg.
Justin McPadden of Pasco County had been a customer of drug dealers like the ones arrested during the operation. Clean now for six years, the anti-drug advocate remembers when he narrowly escaped death numerous times.
He now runs "The Hope Shot" community recovery center, and said drug busts help in the short term, and he gave high praise to law enforcement. But keeping other dealers from picking up the slack is a game of cat and mouse.
"If there's a demand, there's going to be a supply," McPadden said, "unfortunately."
In addition to the Tampa Police Department, Operation Overdrive Tampa also involved the DEA, FDLE, ATF, U.S. Postal Inspections Service, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the State Attorney’s Office, and Hillsborough clerks.
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