On Tuesday, July 23, 2024, the Fort Myers police SWAT Team and members from the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were at the scene on Eugenia Avenue serving a search warrant.
"We confirmed before we came here that they sold narcotics from this residence. We are here to confirm that again by going in and retrieving evidence of those crimes," said Officer Zarillo.
The whole operation took about 40 minutes on Monday, but that is certainly not the case every time.
Two individuals were in the house, and they didn't want to come out. At first, we had to break some windows to get them out.
Once police have a tip, they start digging into the suspect of selling drugs or the location where it's happening.
"We have to prove to a judge that there is probable cause to believe there are drugs sold at a residence," Zarillo said.
Then they work to find evidence for the search warrant — that could be days, weeks, or even years.
Before the operation takes place, the team learns all they can about the suspect, and they train for all possible scenarios.
This time, one of the suspects was Robert Hayden. Inside, they found drugs, including cocaine, Fentanyl, and marijuana.
He was charged with drug trafficking, possession of drug equipment, and obstruction of a search warrant.
Lt. Camacho is in charge of all the tactical responses.
"Everything went well, but it's my job, the swat and operators on the team, to look forward and start thinking what can happen next," Camacho said.
Since January 2024, the department has served 11 search warrants, made 40 arrests and seized 22 firearms and collected more than $45,000.
I don't think people realize how many property crimes stem from narcotics.
The Fort Myers police department usually people who see strange activity that calls in and tips them about investigations like this, and that's where it all leads, so they remind the public if you see something, say something.