The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s SWAT team joined agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation early this morning to serve warrants in “multiple” locations around the county, Sheriff Rick Staly said. But details about the operation, as is common when federal agents are the lead agency, are scant to none.
FBI agents were spotted with Bunnell police serving a warrant on U.S. 1 at the north end of the city this morning, and in Palm Coast’s W Section, around Wood Center Lane. Those may not have been the only places where warrants were served and individuals potentially apprehended.
“There’s nothing I can really provide you, it was not our investigation and we were just there for extra security,” Bunnell Police Chief Dave Brannon said. He had informed City Manager Alvin Jackson of the raids earlier this afternoon. Jackson, too, had no more information than what Brannon had told him.
Our Sheriff’s Office assisted the FBI in serving several search warrants in support of an ongoing federal investigation,” Staly said. “There was no imminent threat or harm to public safety as a result.” He said the investigation is ongoing. “I’m not allowed to say really any more details at all. But we do hope to be able to share additional information when these joint efforts become available to the court system.”
The sheriff could not say whether any, or how many, individuals were arrested. If any were, they were taken to a federal jail outside of Flagler County. The sheriff did not specify whether the Sheriff’s Office was itself directly involved in the investigation, only that the investigation involves “multiple” agencies.
But he dropped a telling hint along the way regarding the nature of the operation: “We’re very dedicated in the Sheriff’s Office, just like most law enforcement agencies are in the country, to eliminating drugs and criminal activity.” He added: “I was very proud of our SWAT team and the compassion they showed with various issues they were confronted with and everyone else. There were no injuries, no issues at all.”
If charges are filed against any individuals who may have been apprehended today, they would be filed through the federal court system.
Jackson1955 says
Oathkeepers and Trump Supporters….connected with J6!
Karen says
Great Job to our Sheriff’s Department, Thank you for serving and protecting our community. 💖 🇺🇲 🇺🇲 🇺🇲
Rev. Doctor C.B. Cutts says
Why the secrecy? If the raids were already carried out, SECRECY immediately goes out the window.
Why isn’t Stahly providing any information about multiple federal arrests in his county ? The publis has the right and deserves to know.
Or was it Stahly who never met a camera he didn’t like was caught completely by off guard by criminal activity in his jurisdiction.
Flo Lefta says
For that they have to get some of their own as well as an outgoing county commissioner.
Patriot says
That’s hilarious!
Thanks for the belly laugh
David S. says
Lock them all up.
Concerned Citizen says
I detect sour grapes from our over hyped Sheriff.
The last time I checked the FBI didn’t have to answer to a local Sheriff. Nor do they really “need” their assistance in serving warrants. However I understand Staly’s desire for maximum media coverage during elections. I mean after all he is the sole reason crime is way down in Flagler.
Nephew of Uncle Sam says
One can only hope. Time will tell.
palmcoaster says
I bet! Many have attended getting a free bus ride to the DC Jan 6…with Mullins and departed somewhere near the Taj Mahal and Court area parking I think was.
MeToo says
Why post this if you can’t tell anything? No danger to residents.
FlaglerLive says
The sheriff did not seek the publicity. We received several communications about the FBI in the county. We checked with the police chief and the sheriff, who provided what information they could. Otherwise, the FBI’s visit would have gone unreported. The sheriff is not on the ballot.
Jane Gentile-Youd says
The sheriff sure was seeking publicity when he put untrue words in my mouth and sent a scathing letter on his official Sheriff stationary mslicioudly calling me the ‘defund’ the police canfidste and endirsing my opponent! If he wasn’t seeking publicity he must be pretty ignorsmt of the Florida statute which clearly define his actions as a ‘No No..
Jason says
I was thinking the same exact thing!
Jane Gentile,-Youd says
Sorry for the typos. Am watching the world series at the same time
Owl says
And all this time I was wondering what all the Cessna planes were doing flying multiple circles, repeating the same pattern over northern Palm Coast at the same time every night. Don’t believe me? Download FlightRadar24. Now pull up the app and watch the patterns over Palm Coast and the surrounding area around 9:30pm. The noise is insane. I’m over it. As if the random flight patterns and aircraft stalling wasn’t enough all day, Embry riddle “students” then fly a straight path from Daytona under the cover of darkness and fly perimeter patterns ( similar to these https://news.yahoo.com/fbi-plane-circling-now-map-165400107.html ) over our community before eventually returning to Daytona. It’s nice to know all that “training” is put to good use at the expense of thousands of residents on the ground who have to deal with the noise and pollution from leaded aviation fuel. When are Florida politicians and lawmakers going to grow a set of balls and deal with the elephant in the room and take on the issue of outdated FAA loopholes that allow this? Hey Embry Riddle, want to train your future Stingray/Dirtbox flyers? How about you and the rest of the flight schools in the area pic your business model up, move out to the rural midwest and spend some of that high drop out rate revenue on a large piece of YOUR OWN PROPERTY to train your students over. Otherwise, you should be financially compensating residents who have no choice but to smell your farts all day and night. There you go. Now go… Unless of course, the feds are using your planes as a cover to suck up some militia member data and finally rid this area of it’s fake patriot extremist problem. Then leave a few aircraft behind before you go.
Happy Chappy says
Soooo you mean to say that a few months back Joe Mullins gets a “random” text asking him to buy drugs then all of a sudden they bust the kid whom was trying to sell him fentanyl instead of cocaine and then they bust the kid and 24 hours later he’s out of jail, and now the feds are in town kicking down doors? They’re most likely going after the fentanyl dealers. I hope so that stuffs a plague.
Robert says
Once again, Flagler Live has been on top of the ladder in public notification of matters of importance whether or not specific details were involved.
Retired says
I love it! I live in Daytona North, Mondex.They fly circles around our home so low you can see the pilot.We have contacted every person from the airport,FFA,and embry riddle to get relief. We have hours of recordings and pics and tail numbers of the two main idiots. We moved out here for quiet. Out west sounds good to me.
Ted Underhill says
Try living in the flight path. It’s absolutely ridiculous that they allow such an excessive amount of daily and nighttime pattern work and touch and go traffic. The county government and flight schools could care less about the citizens and the airport makes no effort at noise abatement. ERAU and PEA use our county airport like their own personal playground. It’s sad that the citizens have to suffer.