VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A major drug trafficking network operating in Volusia County has been dismantled, resulting in 49 arrests and the seizure of hundreds of grams of fentanyl and methamphetamine.
The operation, known as “Operation Ice Breaker 2,” was the result of a collaboration between the Daytona Beach Police Department, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Statewide Prosecutor’s Office.
Channel 9 Eyewitness News has been covering this investigation from the start. In August 2024, WFTV reporters rode along with Daytona Beach Police during “Operation Ice Breaker 1,” the initial phase of the investigation.
On July 1, 2026, WFTV again joined deputies and officers on the ground for the second round of takedowns, which ultimately broke the back of the organization.
Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young explained that while the first operation made significant strides, it didn’t catch everyone. “This investigation actually started back in April of 2024. And that was Operation Icebreaker One. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to wrap up all our targets during the initial operation in 2024. So we got the opportunity to double back with Operation Icebreaker 2,” Chief Young said.
During the second phase, investigators conducted 45 controlled narcotics purchases and used wiretaps to track the group’s leaders. The effort led to the arrest of 24 individuals specifically tied to this recent sweep, including the organization’s alleged leader, Isaac Pease. Authorities seized a dangerous amount of illicit drugs, including 807 grams of fentanyl, 525 grams of methamphetamine, 101 grams of cocaine, and five firearms.
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood noted that wiretaps were crucial in connecting local overdoses to the suppliers. “It became quite apparent that we were going after the same scumbags. So with the help of the statewide prosecutor... we were able to get up on a wire. And that wire led to where we are today,” Sheriff Chitwood said.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeyer announced that 49 people have been arrested in total as part of the broader network takedown. He emphasized that the ringleaders face severe mandatory minimum sentences.
“We’re up to 49 people who have been arrested as a result of this large-scale drug network takedown... They were caught trafficking and conspiring to traffic large amounts of fentanyl, meth, and cocaine into our communities,” Uthmeyer said.
Among those charged, Maurice Shavers, Jr., is facing a 20-year mandatory minimum for conspiring to traffic fentanyl.
Richard Gene Hocker III is facing a 25-year mandatory minimum for trafficking over 28 grams of fentanyl.
Antonio Bejon-Lee faces three separate counts of trafficking, each carrying a 25-year mandatory minimum.
Officials say the investigation is ongoing, with more arrests and charges possible in the coming weeks.
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