WINTER HAVEN — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, recently returned from a Florida State football game in Ireland, stood before enough law-enforcement officers Wednesday to form an entire offense and defense.
A sign affixed to a podium read “LAW & ORDER” and bore an image of an alligator as DeSantis stood in a large conference room at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office headquarters for a media event. Polk Sheriff Grady Judd and Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor joined about two dozen law-enforcement leaders and officers flanking the governor. Mark Glass, commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, also attended.
DeSantis and the other speakers, including Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, used the gathering to promote the state as a bastion of order, in contrast to other states. They decried what they called an “open” southern border and warned about the dangers of the illegal drug fentanyl entering the country from the south.
DeSantis did not announce any new initiatives but touted the successes of law enforcement, bolstered by funding provided through the SAFE — state assistance for fentanyl eradication program — program.
The Florida Legislature allocated $20 million in 2023 for the program, and $8.5 million was added this year. Also this year, DeSantis announced an expansion of the Coordinated Opioid Response network from the original 12 counties to 29, including Polk. That state program established a system of care for residents with substance use disorder.
During the event, held before an invited audience of about 100, as well as media members, DeSantis and Moody repeated previous criticisms of the Biden Administration over its border policies.
DeSantis acknowledged that most fentanyl trafficked across the southern border passes through official ports of entry, rather than being carried by migrants entering illegally between authorized crossing points. But he asserted that “chaos” at the border detracts from the ability to monitor traffic at points of entry.
The governor cited authorities in Polk County for an operation that yielded 11 arrests in January and the seizure of eight pounds of fentanyl.
Judd, called to the podium by DeSantis, praised the governor for supporting law enforcement leaders. The five-term sheriff, who faces a non-party challenger in November, displayed photos of what he said were counterfeit oxycodone pills containing lethal amounts of fentanyl.
Judd also held up a photo showing him standing with DeSantis and other law-enforcement officials during a trip to the southern border. Before finishing, the sheriff pulled out a pair of white sneakers, pantomiming a migrant walking or running across the border, a gesture that drew laughter from the audience.
“You don't need cross trainers; you just need border crossers,” Judd said. “You see, you don't need technology. You don't need a major plan. All you need is these, and then you can walk across the border unobstructed — or you can run across the border unobstructed.”
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Judd added: “And you know what, this is all it takes to get into this country. And they're coming here by the millions to kill your children.”
A smiling DeSantis said, “This isn’t my first rodeo with Grady. I always look to see what props are there. When I saw those shoes, I thought, ‘What is he going to do with those?’”
Moody blasted the policies of California Gov. Gavin Newsome, while DeSantis criticized what he called progressive prosecutors in such cites as Baltimore and Philadelphia.
The event provided a spotlight for two state attorneys who are running for election and facing challenges from predecessors whom DeSantis removed from office. Suzy Lopes, a Republican who replaced twice-elected Democrat Andrew Warren as state attorney for the 13 th Circuit in 2022, criticized Warren by name during her portion of the news conference.
Andrew Bain, whom DeSantis appointed last year as state attorney for the Ninth Circuit after removing Democrat Monique Worrell, also spoke Wednesday. Bain, with no party affiliation, is running against Worrell and Republican Seth Hyman.
Brian Haas, the state attorney for the 10 th Judicial Circuit, which includes Polk, did not attend. A spokesperson said that Haas, who recently gained another four-year term without facing opposition, had a conflict with a previously scheduled event.
State Sen. Colleen Burton, R-Lakeland, joined DeSantis at the front of the room but did not speak.
Those in attendance included former state Sen. Kelli Stargel of Lakeland, now an executive with Florida Polytechnic University; Polk State College President Angela Garcia Falconetti; Auburndale Mayor Dorothea Taylor Bogert; and Kat Gates-Skipper, Republican State Committeewoman from Polk County.
Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13 .
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: DeSantis spotlights the border and fentanyl trafficking during Polk County media show
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