OKEECHOBEE COUNTY, Fla. — A traffic stop along U.S. Highway 441 during a busy music festival led to the seizure of multiple types of illegal drugs and the arrest of a Florida man, the Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office said.
Deputy Sheriff K-9 Handler Karson Reno and his partner, Rico, were working a paid detail aimed at maintaining traffic safety and preventing illicit drugs from entering the event when they observed a traffic violation involving a full-size truck with a camper insert.
A lawful traffic stop was conducted, and Rico was deployed to perform an exterior sniff of the vehicle. The K-9 alerted to the presence of narcotics, prompting a search.
Deputies initially found more than 185 grams of dried psychedelic mushrooms inside the vehicle. Rico continued to indicate additional narcotics were present, leading deputies to further inspect the camper. Using a flashlight, deputies observed several hidden packages before conducting a more extensive search.
The search resulted in the seizure of approximately 650 grams of raw dried psychedelic mushrooms, 3.37 pounds of mushroom-infused psychedelic chocolate, 128.7 grams of cocaine, 3.6 grams of Ecstasy, 1.4 grams of heroin and 172.3 grams of marijuana, according to authorities.
Elijah Whitford, 27, of Stork, Florida, was arrested in connection with the investigation.
Whitford faces charges including trafficking in cocaine, possession with intent to sell psilocybin, and possession of heroin and MDMA. His bond was set at $75,000 during his first court appearance.
Authorities said the enforcement effort was part of a broader initiative to deter illegal drug activity during large events.