According to investigators, on May 30, 2018, information was received advising of illicit drug activity at a nursery located in southwest Miami-Dade.  Investigators responded to the nursery and made contact with Mr. Juan Oliva-Villar, who ran from the scene.  In collaboration with the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, a search warrant was obtained and subsequently executed at the premises.  Investigators discovered a fully operational marijuana hydroponic laboratory inside two large makeshift structures enclosed by a dark screen.

Investigators seized 192 marijuana plants with a total weight of 1,692.5 pounds and an approximate street value of 3.8 million dollars.  This is one of the largest marijuana hydroponics seizures in the history of Miami-Dade Police Department. 

“The Miami-Dade Police Department is committed to combating illegal narcotics activity which has a devastating impact on our community.  This investigation is another example of our continued collaboration with the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office to arrest and prosecute narcotics offenders,” said Director Juan J. Perez.

“The success of this investigation, the arrest of the defendant and the seizure of such an enormous amount of illegal drugs was due to the close collaboration between Miami-Dade County Police Department Narcotics Bureau and the State Attorney’s Office Narcotics Unit. We continue to work together on long and short term investigations with the goal of taking illegal drugs out of our community. Drug traffickers should recognize that doing business in Miami-Dade’s neighborhoods will put them behind bars,” said State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. 

Video and photos are available on the FTP site under file name 2018/May/PD180530199132.