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DeSantis cites SAFE program seizures, urges more funding to fight fentanyl
Summary
Governor Ron DeSantis and state law enforcement officials credited Florida's State Assistance for Fentanyl Eradication (SAFE) program with hundreds of arrests and large drug seizures and said they will seek additional state funding to continue operations.
Governor Ron DeSantis said at a news conference that investigations under Florida’s State Assistance for Fentanyl Eradication program, known as SAFE, have produced nearly 200 investigations, about 2,100 arrests and large seizures of fentanyl and other drugs, and he urged the Legislature to provide additional funding to sustain the program.
DeSantis said, “To date... almost 200 SAFE investigations have led to, 2,100 arrests, the seizure of 485 pounds of fentanyl, and over 63,000 fentanyl pills.” He added that the program has also seized cocaine, methamphetamines, cash, firearms and vehicles in operations statewide.
Why it matters: State officials and local sheriffs characterized SAFE as a central tool in disrupting cartel-linked trafficking into Florida and said the program provides smaller counties with resources to conduct large-scale interdiction operations. Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins said the arrests and seizures show “good government” and the value of coordination between agencies. Sheriff Dennis Lima of Seminole County described SAFE-funded operations as enabling “financially smaller” counties to match cartel resources.
Details and support cited by officials: DeSantis said SAFE-funded work in multiple regions led to coordinated takedowns and described examples he attributed to Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and local sheriff’s offices, including multi-jurisdiction investigations that produced arrests and seizures. Lieutenant Gov. Collins praised agents and told officers, “we have your back 7 days a week, 365 days a year.” Sheriff Lima and other sheriffs described operations (identified in the news remarks by operation names such as “Operation Black Ice,” “Operation Burn, Baby, Burn,” and “Operation Jacob’s Ladder”) and said SAFE funding enabled them to disrupt trafficking networks tied to Mexican cartels.
Funding and next steps: DeSantis said he recommended an additional $20 million for SAFE last year; the Legislature funded $13 million. He reported $7.7 million is already committed to active contracts and said roughly $5 million remains available for new contracts—an amount he described as insufficient to maintain momentum through the fiscal year. DeSantis said he will propose additional funding in his next budget.
What officials did not claim or resolve: No new appropriation was adopted during the event, and no formal legislative action was taken at the news conference. DeSantis framed the budget request as part of his forthcoming budget proposal and urged lawmakers to support continued SAFE funding.
Quotes are limited to speakers at the event and attributed to them on first reference. Officials used arrest and seizure totals repeatedly to illustrate the scope of interdiction efforts; the article reports those figures as stated by speakers and identifies them as statements by the governor or other officials.
