LEESBURG, Fla. — Leesburg police arrested dozens of people in a city-wide drug bust. Police think this single bust can reduce crime in the area.
Police say all but one of the people they arrested Thursday had been arrested before for other crimes. Many were allegedly street-level dealers, selling baggies of crack about half the size of a business card for $20.
By late Thursday afternoon, 40 arrests had been made of 55 wanted suspects in a warrant sweep of drug dealers across Leesburg.
Armed investigators stormed Aleah Miettine's home around 11:00am.
"They was like standing right where you are, with a gun, asking me questions about big Chris. And I felt like if I moved they would've shot me," an eyewitness told WFTV.
Police found no one there, but say Operation Double Nickel, named for their 55 suspects, made a major dent in the small city's drug infrastructure and will likely reduce crime overall.
"There is definitely a nexus between the robberies that occur in our city, the armed robberies, and the drug dealing that goes on," explained Capt. Rob Hicks, Leesburg Police Department.
Police say they found most of the suspects walking the streets or just hanging out near their homes. One of the guys was even working under the hood of his car when cops arrived.
Fifty heavily-armed officers from the federal DEA, the sheriff's office and even neighboring police departments worked together on the sweep.
Leesburg Police Department said it had been secretly investigating and getting search warrants for at least four months. Thursday they nabbed men and women ranging in age from 18 to 58.
"We're hoping that the streets of Leesburg are safer to walk tonight," Hicks said.
Leesburg police attribute much of Thursday's success to their newly formed street crimes unit. Teams are still out searching for the remaining suspects.