Florida Attorney General Uthmeier and Polk County Sheriff Judd Unveil Results of Multi-Agency Drug Trafficking Operation, Leading to 51 Arrests

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — In a joint press conference, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier and Sheriff Grady Judd unveiled the outcomes of a collaborative investigation aimed at curbing the influx of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the region.

Addressing the media on Friday morning, Sheriff Judd outlined the accomplishments of Operation Bloodline and Operation Flatline, which culminated in the arrest of 51 individuals linked to drug trafficking activities.

Operation Bloodline was initiated in August 2025, focusing on Jemarion Young, identified as a prominent gang leader from Winter Haven, along with his associate, Spencer Leonard Jr., based in Bartow.

Sheriff Judd revealed that investigators uncovered an “organized criminal enterprise” helmed by Young, Leonard, and various gangs, orchestrating drug trafficking operations throughout Polk, Hillsborough, Osceola, Orange, Volusia, and Pasco counties.

In total, deputies reportedly seized 78 pounds of methamphetamine and 14.55 pounds of fentanyl, which the sheriff said is enough to kill more than 3 million people.

Detectives also seized 13 firearms and $20,000 in cash.

Sheriff Judd said it was in the middle of Operation Bloodline that detectives began noticing a surge in fentanyl overdose deaths, which led them to launch Operation Flatline.

It started on Dec. 23, 2025, when 42-year-old Angela Valenta was found unresponsive in a Lake Wales hotel room. Detectives say the day before she was found, Valenta received fentanyl from 39-year-old William Newton Jr., also known as “Knowledge.”

Newton Jr. has reportedly been linked to ongoing investigations into the fentanyl overdose deaths of Terry Morris, Dante Niehoff and Madelyn Smith.

Valenta remains hospitalized with minimal brain activity. The sheriff said if she dies, Newton Jr. could face first-degree murder charges.

Operation Flatline resulted in Newton Jr.’s arrest and the seizure of 6.1 pounds of fentanyl and 1.4 pounds of cocaine.

“Fentanyl traffickers are killing people across this county, this state and this nation, just as sure as someone putting a gun to our victim’s head and shooting them in the head,” Judd said while describing the overdose deaths.

While detectives’ initial attempts to go undercover and arrest Newton were unsuccessful, they ultimately arrested him through a court-ordered wiretap.

“Our detectives saved untold lives,” Judd said. “Lives have been saved becasue of the work of our undercover detectives who are the very best.”

The attorney general joined Judd to emphasize the scale and importance of the operations.

“This isn’t child’s play, this is not small stuff. You’ve got enough meth and fentanyl to kill millions of people,” Uthmeier said.

“These guys were not just doing street-level drug dealing. This was advanced trafficking, conspiracy, RICO. We’re gonna go after these guys with everything we’ve got,” he added. 

Several agencies assisted the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the attorney general’s office during these operations, including the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Office of Statewide Prosecution, Florida Highway Patrol, the Florida Department of Corrections, the U.S. Marshals, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, and Central Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and police from Auburndale and Winter Park.