A two-month undercover operation in Palm Beach County, known as Operation Hurricane, has resulted in 46 individuals being charged, with 41 at the federal level and five at the state level. The operation, which targeted gun violence and drug trafficking, involved the ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, West Palm Beach Police, and federal prosecutors.

Operation Details

Authorities reported the seizure of 94 firearms, over seven kilograms of cocaine, nearly 1.5 kilograms of crack cocaine, more than 400 grams of fentanyl, thousands of methamphetamine pills, and trafficking quantities of methamphetamine and heroin. With more than 120 undercover operations and over 170 operational plans, officials described this as one of the largest crime enforcement efforts in Palm Beach County this year.

According to Antonio Araujo, police chief of the West Palm Beach Police Department, the operation’s success is worth it if even one potential victim was saved from gun violence. One case highlighted during the operation involved a deadly shooting in West Palm Beach in May, where a firearm sold to an undercover ATF agent was later matched through ballistics to shell casings recovered from the homicide scene, leading to second-degree murder and firearm charges against a 31-year-old suspect.

Officials also noted that more than half of those charged had multiple prior felony convictions, many involving violent crimes or drug trafficking. The operation was designed to prevent violence before it occurred, rather than simply responding to it.

Original reporting: WPBF (Treasure Coast / Hearst) — read the source article.