August 4 through August 10, 2023

This report represents some events the FWC handled over specified weeks; 
however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement.

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CASES

Escambia County

• Officer Hahr was patrolling the Mahogany Mill Public Boat Ramp, when he observed a charter angler and his crew cleaning fish near the ramp. While conducting a resource inspection of the catch, Officer Hahr observed two undersized greater amberjacks. The captain of the vessel was charged with possession of undersized greater amberjack. 
• While conducting marine fisheries enforcement at the 17^th Avenue Boat Launch, Officer Lugg pulled into the parking lot and observed an individual taking fishing gear and equipment out of his truck bed and loading it into a trailered vessel as if the vessel was about to launch from the ramp. Officer Lugg then observed the vehicle/trailer suddenly exit the boat launch at a high rate of speed into heavy traffic going northbound on 17^th Avenue. Officer Lugg attempted to catch up to the vehicle to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle/vessel for not displaying a trailer tag. The vehicle maneuvered in different directions in what appeared to be an attempt to avoid being followed. After a brief search, Officer Lugg located the vehicle pulled over. The officer observed the operator standing next to the vessel with a black trash bag and multiple fish lying on the deck of the vessel. Officer Lugg conducted a traffic stop and after speaking with the operator, observed oversized black drum, undersized red snapper, and lane snapper on the deck. All violations were cited accordingly
• While conducting marine fisheries enforcement near Bayou Texar, Officer Lugg conducted an inspection on a shoreline angler and found the individual possessed an undersized flounder and five undersized mangrove snapper in a cooler. All violations were cited accordingly.
• Officer Matechik and Lieutenant Corbin were patrolling the Pensacola Pass. Several vessels were stopped for resource inspections. Multiple violations were located including undersized scamp grouper, undersized grey triggerfish, over bag limit of gray triggerfish, undersized Spanish mackerel, reef fish not in whole condition, and no valid fishing licenses. All violations were addressed accordingly.

Santa Rosa County

• Officers Bower and Valdez were on patrol and observed a commercial angler. A resource inspection was conducted and two undersized black drum were discovered. The subject was sited accordingly for his violations. 
• Officers Bower and Valdez were on patrol conducting resource inspections. The officers located a subject kayak fishing in the Santa Rosa Sound. After contacting the subject, they located an undersized speckled trout and two safety violations. The subject did not have a personal floating device or whistle on board and was aware of the regulations on speckled trout. The subject was issued citations and a notice to appear for the violations. 
• Lieutenant Corbin and Officers Bower and Valdez were on patrol conducting resource inspections in Pensacola Bay at night. The officers observed a vessel without navigational white light displayed. A vessel stop was conducted and during the inspection, Officer Valdez located an oversized redfish measuring 34 inches. The operator of the vessel was issued a warning for his navigation light and was issued a notice to appear for the oversized redfish. 

OFFSHORE PATROL

• While on patrol near Key West during the two-day spiny lobster recreational mini-season, Lieutenant Smith and Officers McLeod, Hartzog, and Nelson conducted a resource inspection on a recreational vessel engaged in harvesting lobster. During the inspection the officers found 12 lobster on board the vessel that had a carapace length less than the minimum required three inches. The officers took appropriate action to address the violation. 
• While on patrol in the Gulf of Mexico approximately 55 miles north of Key West, Officers Hartzog, Mcleod, and Nelson conducted a resource inspection on a recreational fishing vessel. During the inspection the Officers discovered the occupants were in possession of five undersized mangrove snapper. The officers took appropriate action to address the violation. 

CASES

Marion County

• Officer Galvan responded to information about someone possibly picking up a gopher tortoise from the side of the road. The officer was able to identify the vehicle and contacted the owner. The owner admitted to picking up the gopher tortoise and was still in possession of it. The gopher tortoise was returned to the wild unharmed and the subject was charged appropriately. 

St. Johns County

• While on patrol, Officer Specialists Thomas and Lawrence observed a vessel violating a manatee slow-speed zone. The vessel was stopped to address the violation. The operator was 17 years old and the two occupants were 19 years old. After inspection, alcohol was found on the vessel. The operator provided a breath sample over the legal limit for blood alcohol concentration. As the operator had been deceitful and had a prior underage alcohol violation, Officer Thomas issued a citation for possessing alcohol by a minor and an infraction for operating a vessel with a breath alcohol concentration higher than 0.02. 

Orange County

• Officers from across the Northeast Region responded to an “officer down” call from the Orlando Police Department. A suspect shot and injured two Orlando Police Department officers in the line of duty and then fled from the Orlando area to Apopka. FWC officers responded to the incident command and staging locations in Apopka to assist, along with several other agencies, in efforts to apprehend the suspect. 

Osceola County

• Officer Specialist Stelzer received information that a group was night hunting in a wildlife management area. Officer Stelzer and Lieutenant Lightsey traveled to the WMA and saw people shining a light from their vehicle. The officers initiated a vehicle stop, which revealed the driver was hunting using a crossbow with a mounted flashlight. In addition to hunting during a closed season, the subject did not sign in or out of the WMA. A notice to appear was issued.

Brevard County

• Senior Officer Platt and Officer Osborn were patrolling a local wildlife management area when they saw a vehicle in an area closed to motor vehicles. The officers observed a subject who was fishing and upon inspection, found he was in possession of numerous gamefish including crappie, bass, and bluegill. The gamefish had been taken by cast net, which is an illegal method. A notice to appear was issued. 
• While on patrol during the two-day spiny lobster recreational mini-season, Officer Specialist Stelzer and Officer Hopkins were conducting resource inspections on inbound vessels. During one inspection, they found an individual aboard the vessel who was in possession of egg bearing lobster. The violation was addressed, and the individual was cited accordingly. 

COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING

Flagler County

• Officers Self and Chamberlain attended the Flagler Fishing Club’s youth outreach event. There were over a hundred members of the public who attended the event. The officers answered numerous questions related to fishing and their participation was appreciated by the anglers.

MAJOR WILDLIFE ASSISTANCE

Volusia County

• Several members of the Volusia Coastal squad and offshore patrol vessel units responded to the Dunlawton Boat Ramp to assist with the release of an adult female manatee that had been rehabilitated at Sea World Orlando. The release was coordinated the FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and members from Volusia County Marine Mammal Rescue, Sea World Orlando, and the FWC (FWRI and the Division of Law Enforcement) worked together to facilitate a safe release of the manatee. 

CASES

Hillsborough County

• While on land patrol, Officer Specialist Rorer observed an empty vehicle parked near a freshwater canal. She parked nearby and waited for the vehicle owner to return. An individual carrying a large bucket and a cast net returned to the vehicle and loaded the net and bucket into the back. Officer Specialist Rorer contacted the individual and conducted a fisheries inspection. At the conclusion of the inspection, Officer Specialist Rorer found the individual to be in possession of multiple gamefish including a largemouth bass. Officer Specialist Rorer issued the individual a citation for harvesting freshwater gamefish with a net. 

Manatee County

• Officer Specialist Miller was on patrol near the South Skyway Fishing Pier when he observed three subjects spearfishing. Officer Miller watched one of the subjects leave in a vehicle, while the other two subjects walked underneath the South Skyway Fishing Pier. A few minutes later Officer Miller noticed the subject in the vehicle returned and parked near the seawall the other two subjects were walking on. One subject was carrying a speargun and the other was carrying a large trash bag that appeared to be full and heavy. Officer Miller watched the subjects place the speargun and trash bag in the bed of the pickup truck and then contacted them to conduct a resource inspection. Inside the trash bag were two over-slot snook, which were harvested with a speargun. Appropriate citations were issued for the violations.

Pinellas County

• While on patrol, Lieutenant Bibeau observed a fishing vessel return to a boat ramp with three occupants onboard. He contacted the individuals and conducted a fisheries inspection. At the conclusion of the inspection, Lieutenant Bibeau found the individuals to be in possession of 23 out-of-season red grouper with 21 of them undersized. Lieutenant Bibeau issued the operator of the vessel two citations for violation of the executive order pertaining to the closure of red grouper and possession of undersized red grouper. 
• While on land patrol, Officers Wilkins and Sutton stopped at a local fish market and conducted a quality control inspection. At the conclusion of the inspection, the officers found the store owner was selling freshwater fish without the proper freshwater retail license and had multiple species of fish for sale that were past their expiration date. Officer Sutton issued the store owner two citations for the violations. 

CASES

Glades/Charlotte County

• Officer Pridgen was on patrol when he responded to a call about two subjects illegally harvesting saw palmetto berries in the western part of Glades County. Officer Pridgen was able to locate the vehicle and two people within the Babcock/Webb Wildlife Management Area. The two subjects were in possession of four large bags containing recently harvested saw palmetto berries. Both subjects were issued a notice to appear for illegally harvesting saw palmetto berries within a wildlife management area. 

Hendry County

• Officer Watson responded to a trespass complaint on private property. The complainant stated there were several people hunting on the property. Officer Watson arrived on the scene where the property security manager was with the group of trespassers, which consisted of three adults and two youth. The group was in possession of several rabbits they killed on the property with a pellet gun. The security manager stated he wished to press charges against the subjects for trespass. The three adults were issued a notice to appear for trespass and one subject was also issued a citation for no hunting license. 

Martin County

• Officers Norbrothen, Brevik, Pecko, Madsen, Sellers, Peters, Stiltner, Webb and Lieutenant Austin Warne responded to a call by a concerned citizen who observed individuals illegally harvesting saw palmetto berries inside the Dupuis Wildlife and Environmental Area. The officers apprehended two individuals who fled on foot and two individuals who did not flee. All four subjects were found to be harvesting saw palmetto berries. Bags containing 815 pounds of berries were located and the four subjects were transported to the Martin County Jail.  
• Officer Spirito, Landers and Pullano were on vessel patrol near the Stuart sandbar when they conducted a vessel stop of a personal watercraft. Officer Spirito noticed the PWC operator showed signs of impairment. The subject was given standardized field sobriety tasks and placed under arrest for boating under the influence. 

Palm Beach County

• Officer Eustice was on patrol at the Palm Beach Inlet when he noticed two individuals diving with no dive flag. Officer Eustice conducted an inspection and determined one individual was spearfishing and had harvested an undersized black grouper. The individual was cited accordingly for the violation. 
• Officers Morgan and Gilmore were on patrol near Peanut Island when they spotted a vessel with fishing rods. They initiated a fisheries inspection on the vessel. During the inspection, the operator was found to be impaired. The operator was arrested for boating under the influence and booked into Palm Beach County jail. 
• Officers Morgan and Defeo were on water patrol inside the Palm Beach Inlet when they observed a personal watercraft being operated by a young child. They conducted a vessel stop to determine the age of the operator. It was discovered the operator was 10 years old and the parent was the third person on the PWC and had no ability to physically control the vessel. The parent was cited for allowing a person under 14 years old to operator a PWC on state waters. 
• Officer Morgan was on water patrol near Peanut Island when he observed a vessel with fishing rods. A fisheries inspection was conducted and upon inspection, the operator was found to be over the daily aggregate bag limit of 10 for snapper. The operator was cited for the violation accordingly.

CASES

Miami-Dade County

• Lieutenant Smith and Officer Gutierrez conducted a fisheries inspection on a vessel entering through Bear Cut from offshore. The inspection revealed eight undersized dolphinfish. The subject was cited for the violation. 
• Officer Saavedra and Espinoza were working the Sands Cut area when they received a call from Biscayne National Park regarding a diver spearing undersized lobster. The subject was arrested and transported to jail. 
• FWC Miami law enforcement officers responded with U.S. Coast Guard, Miami-Dade Police Department, Border Patrol, Coral Gables Police Department, and the City of Miami Police Department to apprehend a subject who had stolen a fast response tow vessel. The subject refused to stop and was pursued for several minutes in Biscayne Bay. The subject was eventually apprehended safely and without further incident.

Collier County

• During the arrest of an individual violating state probation, officers from Collier County Sheriff’s Office observed multiple species of fish and requested FWC response. Officer Tajahs Jackson responded and conducted a resource inspection that identified mangrove snapper, spiny lobster, barracuda, yellowtail snapper, sand bream, mahi-mahi, and blackfin tuna.  The mangrove snapper was undersized and the subject’s spouse claimed possession. Officer Jackson cited the spouse for the resource violation. 
• Officer Rubenstein responded to a call regarding a venomous snake native to Florida on a family’s porch. Officer Rubenstein located and captured the snake and safely released it in appropriate habitat in a nature area.
• Officer Rubenstein watched as a truck pulled up to the gate to Big Cypress National Preserve and appeared to cut or unscrew the chain from the gate. As the officer approached, two individuals ran into the woods. Officer Curbelo, the National Park Service, and Collier County Sheriff’s Office responded. CCSO aviation found six individuals hiding in the woods. Officers were able to detain two subjects, which led to the discovery of 45 bags of saw palmetto berries, an estimated value of $25,000. The two subjects were transported to Naples Jail. 
• Officer Rubenstein responded to a call by hunters scouting in Picayune Strand Wildlife Management Area regarding four individuals shooting from a truck. Officer Rubenstein found the truck and subjects and cited them for destroying state forest property by shooting a road sign and evasion of state forest fee. 

COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING

Miami-Dade County

• Officers Albert, Reynaud, Whale and Washington volunteered in a Shop with a Cop event. They had the privilege of providing school supplies and lunch to local K-12 students at a Walmart in Doral, thanks to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami and the Community-Police Relations Foundation partnership. 

FWC Division of Law Enforcement Regions