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16 People Arrested in Lee County Sheriff Narcotics Operation

Lee Sheriff Carmine Marceno during a press conference held Oct. 8.
Lee County Sheriff's Office Facebook page
Lee Sheriff Carmine Marceno during a press conference held Oct. 8.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office held a press conference Thursday to announce the end of a months-long investigation into illegal drug activity in South Fort Myers and Bonita Springs.

Sheriff Carmine Marceno said through the investigation, dubbed “Operation Checkmate,” narcotics detectives identified individuals selling fentanyl, methamphetamine, crack cocaine and prescription pills.

"Our team was able to identify primary suspects as being documented members of the Latin King gang," Marceno said. "In the end, our team was able to infiltrate the organization and establish probable cause for the arrest of 20 street-level dealers."

Marceno said 16 people have been arrested and charged with selling illegal narcotics. The remaining four remain at-large.

Copyright 2020 WGCU

Andrea Perdomo is a reporter for WGCU News. She started her career in public radio as an intern for the Miami-based NPR station, WLRN. Andrea graduated from Florida International University, where she was a contributing writer for the student-run newspaper, The Panther Press, and also a member of the university's Society of Professional Journalists chapter.