A federal district judge in Miami sentenced a 25-year-old woman to seven and a half years in prison on Friday for her involvement in a journey that resulted in the deaths of over a dozen individuals attempting to illegally enter the United States, according to WFLA.
Yaquelin Dominguez-Nieves, a Cuban national who entered the country unlawfully in October 2022, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to smuggle aliens and related charges earlier this year, as stated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Just a month after arriving in the U.S., officials reported that Dominguez-Nieves and her boyfriend started planning to illegally transport 18 Cubans by boat from the island. They intended to navigate through the Florida Straits to reach the coast of Florida.
They charged fees for the journey, collecting approximately $11,500 from the families of the migrants in South Florida, assuring them that they would safely deliver their loved ones across the water. On November 16, 2024, all 18 individuals boarded a fishing boat that set off from Playa Jaimanitas. It was reported that the boat had only traveled about 30 miles when it began to sink, leading to just two survivors.
Among those who lost their lives were children, with officials noting that three of their bodies were found washed ashore in Monroe County. Their cause of death was attributed to “drowning.” The two survivors indicated that the boat was too small for 18 people, didn’t have lifejackets, and the captain appeared to be inexperienced, according to their accounts.
A Florida woman mistakenly sent a text to a police officer instead of her drug dealer while trying to buy fentanyl, accidentally incriminating herself, as reported by the NY Post.
Octavia Wells, 41, was said to be on her way to rehab on New Year’s Eve when she messaged someone she believed was her dealer for one last dose. She reportedly contacted a number saved in her phone as
“PJ,”
offering to pay $45 for the opioids, according to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.
Wells arranged to meet
“PJ”
at a Tom Thumb convenience store in Panama City, as detailed in a police report obtained by the Smoking Gun. However, upon her arrival, narcotics officers were already there waiting to arrest her, according to police.
It turned out that the number saved in her phone as
“PJ”
belonged to Stephen Pettijohn, an investigator with the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, who is also referred to as
“PJ.”
Police noted that the two had a
“previous iteration.”
Wells reportedly later informed officers that Pettijohn’s name was similar to that of her drug dealer, as mentioned in the arrest affidavit.
The complaint affidavit did not provide specifics about Wells’ prior interaction with the investigator. She faced charges for the unlawful use of a communication device, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving with a suspended license.
#Clique, what are your thoughts?
Woman arrested after accidentally texting sheriff’s department instead of drug dealer https://t.co/1znxMMUKFC
A New Jersey Uber Eats driver had quite the surprise during her delivery! Initially, the woman thought she was dropping off a burrito to a customer. However, not too long into her commute she was hit with a strong scent.
On a Friday night, the woman picked up a package that looked like a burrito wrapped in tin foil, along with a soup and a water bottle from a spot in Lindenwold, Camden County. However, while driving, she soon caught a whiff of what reminded her of marijuana.
She pulled over and contacted the police. An officer arrived and
“inspected the package curbside and determined that it was not a burrito meal,”
Washington Township Police Chief Patrick Gurcsik told 6 ABC.
“There was no meat, or lettuce or beans or rice. It was actually an ounce of marijuana,”
he said.
Police say the food didn’t come from a restaurant, which means the suspects were probably using Uber’s package delivery service. Uber doesn’t allow deliveries of medication, alcohol, or illegal substances. So far, no arrest have been made.
The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) classified addiction as a chronic disease because of its effects on the body. A person with an addiction has no control over their will and may pursue harmful behavioral habits to their detriment. Addiction is earlier to curb when it is in the early stages. The longer an addiction has been on, the more difficult it is to resolve. Therefore, recognizing the early signs of addiction is necessary to protect your loved ones.
Problems of Addiction
Addiction is problematic because the person with an addiction will seek out what they are addicted to at all costs. People can be addicted to anything, from what is considered normal, like social media, entertainment, or video games, to the obvious, like alcohol abuse. Regardless of what it is, addiction affects the reward, motivation, and memory functions of the brain. One of the signs of addiction is that those with an addiction are unable to stay away from it regardless of their determination.
Addiction can also affect an addict’s social life as they may start to hide or not want to be around people. Such people also fail to keep their promises and become totally unreliable. Moreover, their relationships begin to take a hit as they become inefficient and unreliable. Addiction further makes addicts ignore their well-being and take risks as they only focus on getting what they are addicted to. For example, those who take drugs share needles or take higher dosages despite how dangerous those things are.
What Can People Be Addicted to?
People can be addicted to anything, from substances to behaviors and habits. Some substances include alcohol, nicotine, tobacco, hard drugs like crystal meth, whippits, or inhalants that include household items such as spray paints, aerosol products, and sewer. People can also be addicted to medication such as pain relief. Behavioral addictions include sex, shopping, social media, the internet, gambling, video games, or work. Each of these is as dangerous as the other.
Recognizing the Early Signs of Addiction
Identify the Early Signs
The signs of addiction must be spotted early to stage an intervention. It may be difficult to recognize the signs of addiction when it is in the early stages. However, through observation and research, you may be able to identify the signs when you see them. Early signs of addiction usually involve experimentation. Here, the person is drawn to a substance or keeps repeating a behavior.
Other early signs of addiction include a history of addiction in the family, an urge for the substance or behavior, and binging with no remorse. Sometimes, a person might do some or all of these things and not be addicted. Therefore, you need tact and patience to determine whether you are seeing the signs of addiction or the person is just experimenting.
Personality Changes
Another sign of addiction is changes in the personality of the person. Addiction typically alters the brain, which can cause the person to change. These signs could manifest and affect work, relationships, and reputation. Some of the changes include a lack of interest in activities they loved previously or considered important.
Other signs of addiction include missing work, isolating from loved ones and friends or chasing them away, lying, stealing, and risk-taking. Such people also experience sleep issues and a lack of remorse or make excuses for their actions or addiction.
Health Issues
Changes in health are also signs of addiction. After eliminating all chances of other medical conditions, you can be fairly sure you or your loved one has an addiction based on health issues. Addiction affects mental and physical health, so a person with an addiction will show changes in this regard. Some signs of addiction are constant illness, weight loss, wrinkled or dry skin, bad hair, teeth, and nails, and bloodshot or glazed eyes.
Other signs of addiction include sweating, unexplained injuries, trembling, vomiting, slurred speech, depression, and anxiety. People with an addiction also develop increased tolerance for drugs and experience mood swings. Additionally, they exhibit aggressive behavior and apathy and are irritable and suicidal.
There is a better chance of tackling addiction if it is caught early. Therefore, knowing the signs of addiction will be helpful if you or a loved one battled it. If you notice that you or a loved one is exhibiting any of these signs, you may be addicted, and you should seek help.
#Clique, have you ever struggled with an addiction? How did you overcome it? What other early signs should one look out for in dealing with addiction? Let us know in the comments.
A man wanted for murder is on the run in Atlanta after escaping from a detention center at Grady Memorial Hospital, according to 11 Alive. Carwon Marquavious Redding, 32, got away from the Atlanta City Detention Center while waiting for medical treatment at Grady, as reported by Atlanta police.
He was last seen wearing a hospital gown and yellow socks. Police believe Redding likely changed his clothes soon after escaping, but they urge anyone who finds the gown or socks to call 911 right away. Redding faces charges of felony murder and criminal attempt to sell cocaine, police said. He was arrested by MARTA police on Thursday, more than five months after a shooting that led to these charges.
The shooting occurred on April 14 at 1980 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway. When officers arrived, they found two men with gunshot wounds. Both were taken to the hospital, with one in critical condition who later died.
Initially, no arrests were made, but over the following months, three men were charged. On May 24, 34-year-old Jaquelynn McCleskey was arrested in Douglasville and charged with felony murder, attempting to buy cocaine, and a gun-related charge. He was later moved to Fulton County on June 4. The second suspect, 38-year-old Tyrus Pippin, was arrested on June 7 in North Georgia and faced similar charges. He was also transferred to Fulton County on June 10.
Redding was the last suspect arrested in this case. Although he was taken into custody on Thursday, he was never officially booked into the Fulton jail. He escaped on Friday and is still at large. Officers are searching the areas around Grady.
The Major Case Unit of the Volusia Sheriff’s Office is looking into the death of a man who reportedly swallowed drugs to evade arrest, reports WFLA.
The sheriff’s office reported that deputies were carrying out a drug search warrant at a house on Clara Avenue in DeLand around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday. This followed an undercover investigation that revealed several drug sales from that location.
Deputies found 54-year-old Cornell McKinney among five people in the house. They were sitting outside while the investigation was ongoing. The sheriff’s office stated that McKinney didn’t respond to the detectives who were trying to get his information, leading them to suspect that he might be trying to hide or swallow drugs.
Detectives repeatedly asked McKinney to open his mouth and spit out what he was chewing, but he refused. When deputies called medics for help, he became unresponsive. Fire personnel performed life-saving measures and found three plastic baggies in his mouth, with two containing suspected heroin or fentanyl and crack cocaine. McKinney was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, and his family was notified.
The sheriff’s Major Case Unit is investigating his death, and the Medical Examiner will determine the official cause after an autopsy. McKinney reportedly had a history of nine previous arrests in Volusia County for drug offenses and theft since 2012.
A man searching for sea turtle nests on a beach in north Florida stumbled upon a stash of cocaine bricks weighing over 70 pounds, with a street value of $4 million, reports the NY Post. The incident occurred on Friday morning at Amelia Island Beach in Nassau County.
The bricks, which weighed 32 kilograms, were wrapped in plastic and had a picture of a bald eagle on top, as seen in the photos. While the drugs themselves are estimated to be worth $1 million in brick form, law enforcement officials believe that the street value goes for over $4 million.
“We came out looking for shark teeth, but their value is not quite the street value of the other stuff that’s washing up. But we’re still looking for shark teeth,”
Paula Johns, a tourist from South Carolina, told the outlet.
As reported, it is normal for large quantities of packaged drugs to be found on the shores of southern Florida, where smuggling is widespread. However, it is unusual to discover such a large amount of cocaine in a more northern area.
“It’s very rare here in Nassau County,”
Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said.
Leeper thinks that the drug smugglers probably threw the drugs overboard.
“More than likely, it was on a boat that law enforcement or Coast Guard was getting close to and they just threw it overboard to get rid of it so they didn’t have possession of it. The sea current just washes it up along the coastline,”
he said.
#Clique, what are your thoughts?
Florida man found $4 million of cocaine while looking for sea turtle nests on Amelia Island in Florida. The man turned in the cocaine to police. The 70+ pounds of cocaine bricks are worth $1 million in brick form with a street value of $4 million. pic.twitter.com/MyWT89upqD
A man is now facing multiple charges following his arrest for selling drugs to middle school students, reports WSBTV. The incident took place at a local middle school in Rockdale County, where school administrators confiscated THC vape pens from several students.
After conducting an investigation to determine the source of the vape pens, law enforcement officials identified Samuel Estrada as the individual responsible for selling the illegal items to the children.
Upon searching Estrada’s residence, authorities discovered a significant quantity of THC vape cartridges, marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms, $12,000 in cash, and a firearm.
As a result, Estrada is now facing several charges, including three counts of possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and additional charges related to drugs and firearms.
A 27-year-old woman lost some serious weight and we’re not talking about pounds or Ozempic!
The Chicago DEA arrested Chania R. Logan after she traveled to Chicago Midway International Airport from Los Angeles with four pieces of seized luggage with a total of 61.7 pounds of cocaine.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Chicago Field Division announced that Logan was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance with the intent to Deliver and Controlled Substances Trafficking by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office on June 5, 2024.
Logan was reportedly traveling with an accomplice whose luggage was checked after a consensual search in baggage claim and an additional 31 pounds of suspect cocaine was seized.
The second individual ran away and left his two checked bags.
Logan has been placed on electronic monitoring by Judge William N. Fahy.
#Clique, sis going to jail for the rest of eternity!
An Indiana man stole a delivery truck full of liquor from a bar parking lot to sell the alcohol and pay off his drug debts, police said per the NY Post.
The man, 39-year-old Beau Burchel, reportedly saw the truck arriving at Cheers Bar and decided to take it. He also stole $12,000 worth of beer and liquor along with it. After the theft was reported, police found the truck in a cornfield behind a banquet hall, about two miles away. They discovered Burchel hiding in the woods near the field and took him into custody. He told police he stole the truck and he planned to sell the alcohol to settle his drug debts.
Along with the truck, which is valued at around $50,000, the police also found a skid steer loader worth approximately $60,000, which had been reported stolen earlier in the day. The man confessed to stealing the skid steer and removing its GPS unit. The inside of the truck was damaged as the man tore out the camera and GPS, but all of the alcohol remained in the truck.
Burchel is facing multiple felony theft charges and is currently being held on a $20,000 bond, according to jail records.
