Jacksonville sheriff: 13 arrested, pounds of drugs and 16 firearms seized in ‘Operation Knight Fall’

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Thirteen suspects have been arrested and are facing a combined 67 separate charges as part of a large-scale drug bust operation conducted by Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

The arrests are the culmination of an 18-month undercover investigation dubbed “Operation Knight Fall.”

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

JSO officers executed several search warrants on homes near Ken Knight Drive Tuesday morning.

The searches yielded the seizure of pounds of various drugs, including 79 grams of fentanyl.

JSO also seized 16 firearms. The agency said two of those weapons have been linked to previous shootings.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

“Crime guns and violence are woven into the fabric of the illegal narcotics trade,” Sheriff T.K. Waters said.

Waters said the more than year-long investigation all started with a tip from a citizen.

“When a concerned citizen shares information about neighborhood crime with law enforcement, even anonymously, police can and will take decisive steps to stamp out illegal activity that destroys the quality of life for law-abiding citizens,” Waters said.

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Waters said it’s difficult to quantify how many lives may have been saved as a result of the massive seizure of illegal drugs and firearms.

“But if just one precious life is saved, the dedicated, patient work of JSO investigators was worthwhile,” Waters said.

Waters indicated the arrests represent the dismantling of an entire illegal drug operation in Jacksonville, and called the hit to the black market in our area “significant.”

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.