DELTONA -- A trafficking amount of cocaine was taken off the streets Monday by Volusia County Sheriff’s deputies during a special suppression operation targeting street crime in the Deltona area, an agency spokesman said.
"Deputies and narcotics agents from the West Volusia Narcotics Task Force were out in full force – about 30 law enforcement officers in all – proactively patrolling areas where daytime criminal activity was most likely," Sheriff's spokesman Brandon Haught said. "In all, there were four felony arrests and six people charged with misdemeanors. A couple of traffic stops during the operation led to three narcotics-related arrests, including one where 27-year-old Brenton Vickers was found with a trafficking amount of cocaine."
At 10 a.m., a deputy noticed a vehicle driving erratically and even running off the road onto the shoulder. The deputy stopped the vehicle near the intersection of Hummingbird Street and Belltower Avenue and contacted the lone occupant, Vickers.
The smell of recently burnt marijuana could be easily smelled coming from inside, Haught said, adding when asked if there was anything illegal inside the vehicle, Vickers told deputies, “Yeah, I got something in there.”
Vickers said it was under the passenger seat, and the deputy found a back pack there, Haught said. In the back pack was a digital scale, other paraphernalia commonly used by drug dealers and a plastic bag containing about 58 grams of cocaine. Vickers was charged with cocaine trafficking, possession of marijuana under 20 grams and possession of narcotics paraphernalia.
Another traffic stop was conducted a couple of hours later after undercover narcotics agents spotted what looked like an active drug deal. Roberto Cintron, 22, was arrested as a result when about 4 grams of cocaine was found secreted in a special pouch sewn into his underwear, Haught said. He was charged with possession of cocaine and possession with intent to sell. Koviany Amezquita, 29, was also arrested when a smoking device with cocaine residue on it dropped out of his shoe. He was charged with possession of paraphernalia, Haught said.
Monday’s operation was part of periodic saturation patrols designed to target known hot spots and street-level crimes.
"Their efforts to saturate the area and disrupt criminal activity proved effective," Haught said. "Deputies also seized 16 marijuana plants, 11 bottles of steroids that a man possessed without a prescription, a 15.25” knife with a 9.5” serrated edge found during a traffic stop tucked next to the driver’s seat, and nearly $3,000 in cash associated with drug dealing."