Authorities said they've busted up a major heroin ring in Hollywood.
Police say 37-year-old Jose Morales was at the top of the food chain in Operation Heroin Valley. Also arrested was 29-year-old Heninston Francis.
“I’m innocent 100 percent. That’s all I got to say, all of it," Francis said Wednesday after his arrest.
“This organization is responsible for heroin, Flakka, cocaine and marijuana distributions in Hollywood," Police Chief Tom Sanchez said at a news conference Wednesday. “Today, the ringleader, Mr. Morales, when we arrested him at his home we recovered 452 grams of heroin. As you can see some of this heroin is ready for street distribution.”
Morales is facing four counts of trafficking in heroin and four counts of conspiring to traffic in heroin. Francis is charged with two counts of delivering heroin.
Sanchez said pinning the suspects down took ten months and dozens of undercover drug purchases.
“During the course of the investigation we had purchased 130 grams of heroin and we also seized from other search warrants Flakka," Sanchez said.
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Hollywood Police, along with the Broward Sheriff's Office and federal agents started rounding the suspects up at 6 a.m. Wednesday. They were arrested at various locations around Hollywood.
Morales was taken down at a home in Miramar where police believed was one of the main points of distribution. Police also think this group was connected to a violent shooting in Hollywood.
After several days on the run, 45-year-old Roberto Cabrera was arrested on Friday.
