West Palm Beach, FL/CBS12 News — There are some major victories to report in the war on drugs, as the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office says it is taking down a network of drug dealers who are moving narcotics across county lines and putting our families at risk .

A group of suspects with ties to Palm Beach, Martin and Broward counties have been arrested. According to the arrest report, which is over 130 pages long, these guys are openly running a drug trafficking operation that has existed for, quote, “many years.”

Investigators placed them under surveillance at their homes and at places where they met clients.

Sheriff’s detectives and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration say they have gathered enough evidence to put Gerald Bielen, 46, Jerry Shuler, 44, Smith Leon Cooper, 47, and Trent Watkins, 52, behind bars.

They face charges of racketeering, conspiracy and drug trafficking.

According to the arrest report, over 11 months, undercover agents purchased more than 200 grams of cocaine in Biel.

Detectives say Bielen, Shuler and Watkins were part of an “ongoing criminal enterprise” trafficking illegal drugs, including cocaine, fentanyl, oxycodone and Adderall.

Detectives quote: “Although the company does not have a detailed structure such as a list of directors, it is clear from the investigation that Bielen is established as a high-level narcotics trafficker….”

During the investigation, agents made numerous secret drug purchases from members of the group, monitored their telephone conversations and searched their trash to collect evidence and monitored them with ground agents as well as surveillance aerial using a helicopter.

Some of these guys are no strangers to law enforcement. The arrest report states Shuler had previously been convicted of drug trafficking and served a 15-year prison sentence.

When he got out and returned to business, PBSO says, profits skyrocketed – running into hundreds of thousands of dollars!

“The societal impact of drugs is profound,” said Dr. Rachel Needle, a licensed psychologist in West Palm Beach.

Dr. Needle is a member of the State’s Attorney’s Addiction Recovery Task Force.

“We are essentially the substance use disorder treatment capital of the world,” Dr. Needle said.

She says illegal narcotics cause immeasurable damage in South Florida.

“We see a lot of things, the physical and mental health consequences, crime and public safety, the economic burden, the impact on family and relationships,” Dr. Needle explained.

President-elect Trump said he would prioritize stopping fentanyl entering the country from our borders. He says he will impose tariffs on China and Mexico if those governments don’t do more.