After weeks of extensive surveillance and investigation, nine people were arrested in an undercover operation by the State Attorney’s Office Narcotics Enforcement Task Force that targeted drug traffickers.

A press conference was held at the Lee County Port Authority Training and Conference Center at RSW Airport Thursday afternoon to share information about Operation Miller Time, the fourth NETFORCE initiative.

State Attorney Amira Fox said arrests and search warrants have been executed over the last few days to get drug traffickers off the street and disrupt the supply chain of “this poison” flowing through Southwest Florida, the state, and the nation.

Nearly 4 kilos of cocaine, 90 grams of Fentanyl, 69 grams of MDMA, 375 grams of marijuana, two AR-15 weapons and $61,127 in cash, were seized in the NETFORCE initiative.

“Operation Miller Time initially started in Lee County with a focus on disrupting the drug trafficking operations that move and deal drugs in our community. This investigation led to defendant Freddie Miller who has been arrested for two counts of conspiracy to traffic in cocaine, one count of trafficking in cocaine, one count in conspiracy to traffic Fentanyl, one count in conspiracy to traffic meth, one count in conspiracy to traffic MDMA and one count in conspiracy of cocaine with the intent to sell within 1,000 feet of a school,” Fox said. “Miller was dealing the drugs not only in Fort Myers and Lehigh Acres in Lee County, but he was also dealing drugs in Collier County.”

The months of investigation also led to the arrests of Bobby Dennis, Martin Andre, Joshua Miller, Anthony Clark, Travis Williams, Jearld Brown, Paul Ontano, and Dwayne Broughton, officials said.

“A very large amount of narcotics has been seized and taken off the streets,” Fox said, adding that the defendants are all facing minimum mandatory prison terms. “This operation serves once again as a very powerful reminder of the importance of collaboration of all of us together in law enforcement in stopping drug traffickers.”

The members of the task force include Homeland Security, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Fort Myers Police Department, Cape Coral Police Department, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Collier County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, ATF, and the Lee County Port Authority Police.

Cape Coral Police Department Chief Tony Sizemore said partnerships are what made the operation work. During his comments he acknowledged the men and women who worked on the case.

“These are very long hours. You work the same time as narcotics dealers,” he said. “There is a great sacrifice and danger involved with it. It is very valid work that these men and women put their lives on the line for our community. They put the boots on the ground to make this work.”

Sheriff Carmine Marceno said “proud” is an understatement of what NETFORCE was able to do.

“Every time we take drugs off the street we save lives. It is our responsibility to help those who have addictions and incarcerate those that prey on that addiction,” he said. “It is not if we are going to catch you, it is when. We have zero tolerance. The great residents of Southwest Florida deserve to live in a safe and secure law and order environment. Today is a huge win. A big win today.”

Fox said they are so incredibly proud of this task force and the success of the operation, which is the fourth operation conducted since NETFORCE was created.

The amount of fentanyl alone seized during the four operations is enough to kill 2.8 million people, she said.

“I want to echo my appreciation to the men and women of law enforcement. You are the ones actually out there risking your lives in these operations,” Fox said. “They work so hard and in such difficult hours and I see it firsthand when I run these operations with them.”

She said with all of them standing together they will not tolerate the destruction caused by drug dealing and drug trafficking.

“To any drug trafficker out there, your days of profiting from the misery of others will end under our leadership,” Fox said. “We will expose your criminal enterprises and we will bring you to justice. We will dismantle your networks and seize your assets. Your choice of making a living profiting off the misery of others will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

That includes prosecuting those who sell drugs to someone that kills them with first degree murder.