The major supplier of a fentanyl trafficking group was among those detained during a frantic police pursuit that left a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office K-9 and others hurt Thursday night, officials said.
According to Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office authorities, Anthony Medina, 33, was detained on various counts following a chase that began Thursday night and involved multiple agencies. The MDSO’s Narcotics Section collaborated with Miami Beach Police’s Narcotics Unit and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on the Medina investigation, which has been ongoing for at least seven months.
During the investigation, investigators conducted several controlled purchases of fentanyl and identified Medina as the primary source, police said. On Thursday night, investigators tried a traffic check on Medina, but he fled at high speed, resulting in a police pursuit, according to officials. Dade’s video only showed officers following a white SUV racing along the road. During the quest, Medina purposely hit a K-9 SUV, causing it to smash into a concrete wall between Northwest 72nd Street and Northwest 1st Avenue, according to officials.
Roxy, the K-9, treated and released the deputy, who was transferred to an emergency veterinary facility and reported to be in stable condition. As the pursuit continued, another MDSO car collided with a civilian on Northeast 2nd Avenue and Northeast 17th Street. The deputy was treated on the scene, while the civilian, an adult man, was sent to a local hospital in stable condition.
A pedestrian who sustained minor injuries while escaping being hit by the automobiles was also sent to a nearby hospital. The pursuit concluded on State Road 836 westbound at Northwest 12th Avenue when Medina and two other suspects were apprehended following a brief fight, according to authorities. Medina, a convicted criminal, faces various charges, including fentanyl trafficking, fleeing and evading, aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, possession of controlled narcotics, and resisting an officer without violence. A second defendant, 35-year-old Julio Flores, who is also a convicted criminal, is charged with felony possession of a handgun and resisting an officer without violence. The third defendant, Krystal E. Flores, 34, was charged with resisting an officer without violence.
