Florida Agricultural Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced the results for the first week of Operation Safe Summer and inspected hemp retailers and manufacturers to ensure compliance with new child protection standards for hemp products. “Operation Safe Summer” includes inspections of 20 Florida County HEMP retailers and manufacturers, and has removed approximately 11,000 hemp products packaging due to violations of child protection standards for packaging, labeling and marketing.
“We drew a hardline in Florida when it came to protecting children from dangerous, deceptive hemp products,” Commissioner Simpson said.
Commissioner Simpson says since July 1, 2023, his department has discovered more than 738,000 hemp products packaging in violation of child protection standards. Statewide testing sweep specifically targets the sale of hemp products sold to attractive and/or children, as prohibited by Florida law. The sweep includes inspections of over 700 businesses in all 67 Florida Counties, and discovered packages of over 83,000 hemp extraction products. This targets children with euphoric and advanced THC products.
In a coordinated investigation this week, the FL’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Agricultural Law Enforcement Agency overthrew major criminal businesses, including payment card fraud and fuel theft from Hernando County.
The investigation began when US Customs and Border Protection blocked the shipment of illegal overlay skimming devices tied to Unior Juan Camacho in Spring Hill, Florida. OALE Special Agents immediately began an investigation into alleged violations including scanning devices used to steal sensitive financial data and re-encoding.
The investigation was also with the help of the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office.
The agent discovered and grabbed a sophisticated fraud manipulation.
354 counterfeit magnetic strip payment cards suspected
17 illegal skimming devices
Over 150 digital storage devices
Additional electronic components used in skimming schemes
Cash $47,350
Cash, counterfeit magnetic strip payment cards, skimming devices
Additionally, an agent discovered two hidden illegal fuel tanks suspected of being used to steal diesel fuel, and then the 2022 Ford F-350 run by Hernandez Placencia has been locked in. During the same operation, the agent also retrieved 17 gaffs. This is generally related to animal combat.
Camacho, Murguia, and Hernandez-Plasencia face multiple felony charges, including trafficking counterfeit goods, possession of skimming devices, and possession of equipment used in animal combat.
