MARTIN COUNTY — Sheriff’s officials reported making 14 arrests this week of alleged “street level drug dealers in the East Stuart area” following an undercover investigation, a sheriff’s official said Friday.

The arrests, mostly men, occurred Wednesday, though the case began about mid 2023 following complaints of drug sales in the East Stuart area, which is east of U.S. 1 and generally includes the area bordered by Southeast Palm Beach Road, Southeast 10th Street, A1A and Southeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Sheriff’s Chief Deputy John Budensiek said the drug encountered most was in the cathinone class, specifically one that produced feelings similar to a cross between crack cocaine and Esctasy.

“It’s cheap, substituted crack that they’re dealing with on the street now,” he said. “The majority of the individuals were arrested for selling that or crack cocaine.”

J.D. Parker Elementary School and Stuart Middle School are not far from the area where the incidents occurred.

Budensiek noted one individual had an ounce of marijuana, though investigators found it was laced with crystal methamphetamine.

Sheriff’s officials worked with Stuart police in the case, Budensiek said.

The 14 arrests this week follow one earlier this month in which sheriff’s officials seized 3 pounds of “very high potency” methamphetamines, sheriff’s officials have said.

“We are going to stay diligent in tracking down these people that are selling drugs, from street level dealers all the way to international drug traffickers,” Budensiek said. “We take it serious and we’ll keep pushing and doing our job to keep the county safe.”

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Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Fourteen accused ‘street level drug dealers’ nabbed in East Stuart