Eight people arrested following drug bust in Florida

FLORIDA — Authorities in Polk County have arrested eight suspects and seized 64 pounds of fentanyl—valued at $4.5 million—in what officials say is the largest fentanyl seizure in county history.

The arrests and seizures were the result of two separate multi-agency undercover investigations led by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force.

The investigations targeted major drug trafficking operations connected to the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said the operations reflect the continuing threat posed by international drug trafficking organizations.

The first investigation, focused on the Sinaloa Cartel, began in July 2024 when counterfeit fentanyl pills resembling blue oxycodone tablets were traced from Sonora, Mexico, through Phoenix, Arizona, and into Florida.

Detectives coordinated shipments to Polk County, leading to the seizure of approximately 17 pounds of fentanyl pills.

On April 28, 2025, undercover detectives purchased roughly nine pounds of fentanyl pills from Regina Lynn Headspeth in Lakeland.

A traffic stop in Phoenix later recovered the money used in the transaction, and Headspeth was later arrested in Arizona. Another suspect, Adrian Francisco Munguia, was arrested after transporting nine pounds of fentanyl from Daytona Beach to Polk County.

The second investigation, targeting the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, resulted in six arrests and the seizure of about 29 pounds of fentanyl.

Authorities said some of the drugs were hidden inside fake car batteries to avoid detection. In one incident, Adalberto Diaz transported a kilogram of fentanyl from Georgia to Polk County.

He and his daughter, Alejandrina Diaz, were later arrested while attempting to move additional quantities.

Officials emphasized that the seizures and arrests demonstrate the serious threat international cartels pose to communities and the continued commitment of law enforcement to combat the spread of dangerous drugs.