Sheriff: 85 arrests in California-Florida drug flight scheme

BARTOW, Fla. (AP) — Investigators say 85 people have been arrested and millions of dollars in illicit drugs were seized in a smuggling operation that used commercial flights from California to Florida. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at a news conference Friday that the drugs were hidden in checked luggage on flights from Los Angeles to Orlando over a two-year period. One seizure involved six piece of luggage containing nothing but drugs. Street value of about $12.8 million was estimated for the seizures of drugs including methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, fentanyl, oxycodone and Xanax. Forty-nine guns and $235,000 in cash was also confiscated.