Jacksonville, FL — The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is cracking down on drug dealers, amid an increase in drug overdose deaths.
Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams and State Attorney Melissa Nelson announced several murder arrests tied to drugs on Tuesday.
"Today, five suspects have been indicted and arrested for murder in separate cases. In addition, our teams have arrested another 20 people on separate drug charges and probable cause to indict for murder still exists and is being developed on other cases as well," says Williams.
"The narcotics/homicide investigative teams worked 263 of those cases in 2019, which was up from just 177 in 2018. That for us is a 65% increase in the number of those cases that we worked," says Williams.
Williams says these arrests come amid an increase in local drug overdoses.
State Attorney Melissa Nelson says these arrests should send a message.
"These indictments send an important message to drug dealers. Those who sell fentanyl and those who sell drugs cut with fentanyl which lead to death will be held accountable, not merely for the sale of the drugs, but for murder," says Nelson.
But she wants to make it clear these prosecutions do not change the Good Samaritan law, which provides immunity from prosecution for those seeking medical intervention.
"We still want people to call when they're in need. However, for those who cover-up drug overdoses and those who deal in drugs that cause death, we will be aggressive on this front," says Nelson.
WATCH: JSO announces arrests tied to multiple death investigations