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Seminole County sheriff urges tougher penalties for xylazine trafficking, backs license-plate 'flipper' penalties
Summary
Sheriff Dennis Lima told the Seminole County delegation that xylazine — a sedative increasingly found mixed with illicit drugs — requires tougher trafficking penalties because naloxone does not reverse its effects, and he supported bills to designate roads for fallen deputies and to penalize devices that obscure license plates used in crimes.
Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lima told the county's legislative delegation on Jan. 8 that the rising presence of xylazine in illicit drug mixtures presents new challenges for law enforcement and medical responders and that state law should treat trafficking in xylazine with penalties comparable to other controlled substances.
"Xylazine is incredibly dangerous and we've seen local cases of Xylazine being used in various illicit drug mixtures," Lima said, emphasizing that the animal sedative is not responsive to opioid antagonists such as naloxone. "Right now, in the state of Florida, if you are in possession of Xylazine for illicit use ... there is no increased penalty for trafficking of Xylazine." He urged the delegation to support legislation to increase trafficking penalties and minimum mandatory sentences for dealers who distribute the drug.
Lima also thanked the delegation for support of House Bill 389, which he described as a measure designating roads in honor of six Seminole County deputies killed in the line of duty. He said the bill ensures their names "will be embedded in our history." The sheriff further urged support for a bill he and local law enforcement back that would raise penalties for use of devices that intentionally obscure license plates — "license plate flippers" — when used in the commission of a crime.
He described the operational impacts of substances like xylazine on local prosecutions and medical-examiner resources, saying recent changes in prosecution law have increased demands on medical examiners and added staff costs to the county. Lima also noted his role in statewide efforts, including chairing the statewide opioid abatement task force on behalf of the attorney general.
Why it matters: xylazine’s presence in opioid mixtures has national scope but local consequences. Naloxone — standard emergency reversal for opioid overdose — does not reverse xylazine’s sedating effects, creating new treatment and prosecution challenges reported by Seminole County officials.
Speakers and authorities: Lima referenced House Bill 389 (road designations) and House Bill 57 (which he and others discussed in the context of trafficking penalties). The transcript records requests and acknowledgements from delegation members about bills to address license-plate flippers and scheduling of novel substances.
No formal delegation action occurred on the sheriff’s requests during the meeting; Lima sought legislative attention and funding consideration for enforcement and prosecution support.
