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Federal agents bust pill mills in Florida

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    Doctors, clinics stopped from selling narcotics

  • Duration 3:03
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Well again -- federal agents carrying out raids across Florida today they're trying to -- so called pill mills those are clinics and doctors in offices.

Health care facility is at excessively distribute some of the most addictive narcotics.

On the market Fox News is the only national network that was granted access.

-- -- morning -- John Roberts is like Pensacola with more John.

Hey good afternoon -- a -- a major operation under way here by the DEA bogus pain clinics.

In seven cities clear across the state of Florida for Miami in the south.

Up the coast to Jacksonville and all the way -- -- Pensacola.

Which is where we are three people either arrested or detained in connection with the pill -- Behind me here including the Doctor Who was running -- of the office manager across the state a total of fourteen arrests seven of those people.

Doctors.

The DEA says that this operation -- -- usual because it is a network that stretches across the state typically they say these clinics are one owner one clinic.

But this is this big large operation the investigation began about eighteen months ago it started in Vero Beach.

And branched out from there one of the most troubling aspects is.

That the masterminds of this alleged pill mill operation are two firefighters.

Yes firefighters from Pompano Beach.

And according to DEA spokesman rusty Payne this operation is huge.

Thousands of prescriptions may -- is it maybe -- attends.

Of thousands of prescriptions may be more and obviously pills in the hundreds of thousands maybe even the millions.

And -- your pills or not only going to addicts directly we're also going to traffickers.

Were taking these -- up in other parts the United States not just Florida.

Where the problem is ground zero and they're they're selling them on street street for huge profits.

Huge profits thousands upon thousands of dollars now the state of Florida has pass -- laws in the last year to try to crack down on pill mills.

And while those laws are having an effect.

Pill -- are still a huge problem not only here but across the country according to a recent report.

By the Centers for Disease Control more Americans die each year from prescription drug abuse to die from heroin and cocaine combined.

According to -- attorney general -- -- seven people die every day in the state of Florida.

From prescription drug abuse -- while large operations like this -- have continued to exist Florida is beginning to put a dent in the bill real problem.

That's being reflected in prices on the street a tablet of oxy code on which would have gone a year year and a half ago for ten dollars now -- is as much as eighty dollars.

That has created though an ironic problem some addicts who can no longer afford to buy prescription drugs in the street.

Are turning back to traditional illicit drugs like heroin to get their fix because -- it's actually cheaper now.

The economy Heidi is -- seven people that -- a day kindness.

Seven people in the state of thwarted the die every day.

More the United States in total for prescription drug abuse.

Think cocaine and heroin combined those are shocking shocking statistic really -- this in perspective today John thank you for that exclusive.

Report and look for -- very much.

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