A multi-agency gang sweep leads to 27 arrests — and ends with drive-by shooting

An eight-hour police gang sweep that led to 25 arrests in Pompano Beach ended with two men involved in a drive-by shooting on a scooter in front of officers, police say. The two men, Luis Martinez and Sean Brewster, were arrested around 1 a.m. Saturday in the 3000 block of Northwest Second Street. No one was injured in the shooting. The pair joined the 25 others in jail charged Friday and Saturday.

The operation was conducted Friday night into early Saturday, with police looking for people committing crimes and then arresting them, said Keyla Concepción, a Broward County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman.

“Fortunately, no one was injured in the drive-by Saturday morning, but it’s the very reason why operations like this one are necessary,” Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony said in a statement. “We need to put an end to the violence and the criminal behavior that robs the rest of the community of its peace and tranquility.”

The operation was put together because of an uptick in shootings and gang activity in Pompano Beach, Concepción said.

Among the charges were possession of narcotics, violation of probation, and discharging a firearm, she said. Detectives also seized narcotics, three firearms, a motorcycle reported stolen from Pompano Beach in 2017, and more than $3,000 in cash.

At least three of those arrested had documented ties to a known gang, she said. Authorities declined to name the gang. The driver of the scooter in the drive-by was on probation for dealing in stolen property and had a warrant for his arrest for not paying child support.

More than 30 officers and deputies participated in the operation. In addition to BSO, the operation included Coconut Creek, Hallandale Beach, and Fort Lauderdale police, as well as the Border Patrol and the Florida Department of Corrections Probation and Parole.