PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office has dismantled the "Nawf Way" gang enterprise in a year-long investigation called "Operation Shark Bait" that resulted in more than 20 arrests, according to Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and federal authorities who announced the results Thursday.
The operation targeted the criminal organization also known as the "Sharks," which primarily operated in the Belle Glade area of western Palm Beach County and has been active since at least 2020, said Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Capt. Michael Ott.
WATCH BELOW: Nawf Way gang members arrested after year-long investigation
Massive Multi-County Operation
The May 21 operation involved more than 200 law enforcement officers executing 13 search warrants across Palm Beach County and Hendry County, Ott said during Thursday's news conference alongside Bradshaw, FBI representatives and the state attorney's office.
"There were 10 total search warrants executed within the Belle Glade city limits. There was one (search warrant executed) in the Town of Lake Park, one in the city of Riviera Beach and one in LaBelle in Hendry County," Ott said.
The investigation revealed that Nawf Way evolved from a smaller neighborhood gang called "Four Way" into a larger criminal enterprise with more than 50 documented members and associates, according to investigators.
Extensive Criminal Activity Documented
Detective analysis of cases between 2020 and 2025 linked the Nawf Way gang to extensive criminal activity throughout Palm Beach County, Ott said. The investigation connected gang members to 103 firearms seizures, 62 shootings, homicides or attempted homicides, and 64 other firearms-related cases, including armed residential burglaries, armed robberies and narcotics trafficking.
"We recovered seven additional firearms, that's in addition to the 103 firearms I've mentioned, which we've taken over the past five years off known associates of this gang, for 110 firearms, approximately $10,000 in currency, large amounts of trafficking weight narcotics, to include fentanyl, cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana," Ott said.
The sheriff's office said gang members committed these crimes to generate income, assert territorial control and retaliate against rival groups.
Serious Federal and State Charges
The arrested suspects face multiple charges, including racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, possession of firearms by gang-related delinquents, possession of firearms by gang-related felons, carrying concealed firearms with gang enhancement penalties, and trafficking in narcotics, Ott said. Additional charges remain pending as the investigation continues.
Gang enhancement penalties carry significantly longer sentences under Florida law, making the charges more severe than standard firearms violations.
Community Safety Impact
The operation represents part of the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office's ongoing commitment to dismantling criminal organizations throughout the county, officials said.
"This active enforcement will have a direct impact on lowering instances of violent crime within our community and make the community feel safer overall," Ott said.
The investigation's scope demonstrates how modern gang enterprises can span multiple jurisdictions while maintaining centralized criminal operations in specific communities like Belle Glade.
Sheriff Bradshaw emphasized that the arrests send a clear message to criminal organizations operating in Palm Beach County.
"They don't own the streets. The community owns those streets, and that's why we do what we do," Bradshaw said. "We're going to get you. It's not a matter if we are going to get you. It's a matter of when."
The collaboration between local, state and federal agencies in Operation Shark Bait reflects the multi-jurisdictional approach needed to combat organized criminal enterprises that often operate across county and state lines.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
