ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — A 46-year-old convicted felon faces several charges in one of the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office's biggest drug raids in the last decade, including more than 4,500 grams of drugs, $245,476 in cash and eight guns, Sheriff Ken Mascara said Saturday.
Conquistador Herbert Ray, of Fort Pierce, was arrested on drug trafficking, drug possession and weapons-related charges after executing a search warrant at a home near the 300 block of North 24th Street in Fort Pierce around 10:30 a.m. Friday. He was booked on a $153,000 bond.
Drugs found were 4,103 grams of cocaine (4 kilos), 148 grams of MDMA (commonly known as ecstasy),
12 grams of fentanyl, 100 grams of MDPV (molly) and 220 grams of marijuana.
Besides the drugs, detectives also seized nearly a quarter-million dollars in cash, a tool box containing gold and silver coins, a 2020 Dodge Charger 392 Scat Pack, an AK-47, Mini Draco, .44 Magnum revolver, 9 mm Canik pistol, Ruger 9mm pistol, Maverick 12-gauge shotgun, Smith and Wesson AR-15 rifle and a Zastava SKS Rifle.
“This was no small operation, given the large amount of drugs, weapons and cash recovered," Mascara said in a news release posted on Facebook. "Some people will say that dealing drugs is a victimless crime; however, when you put drugs, weapons and cash together, this is the perfect combination for violence in our community."
Assisting the agency were the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, Port Saint Lucie Police Department and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
"Friday's arrest is big win for our agency and our community in that it sends other dealers a strong message: we will not tolerate the sale and distribution of these deadly drugs in our community, and we will continue to work tirelessly to bring those responsible to justice," Mascara said.
Ray was arrested in 2001 on aggravated assault and spent 31 months at Sumter Correctional Institution in Bushnell.