Two arrested in illegal dumping case

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office arrested two men Thursday for dumping a container filled with liquid hazardous waste and oil on Pine Avenue in Big Pine Key, Florida.

Jorge Alejandro Newbery, 62, of Big Pine Key, Florida, and Maikel Ramos Jimenez, 36, of Hialeah, Florida, were both charged with multiple felony counts of illegal dumping-related charges.

“The Florida Keys is a fragile ecosystem and we all have to work together to keep our community beautiful,” said Sheriff Rick Ramsay. “This case was a great example of our citizens seeing, reporting, and having a direct role in our ability to solve a crime.”

The Monroe County Public Works Department and the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection are also part of the investigation. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection was also notified.

The clean-up gravel was excavated due to the possibility of the waste reaching the water table. The initial clean-up weight of all the material was more than 30,000 pounds. The road remains closed until further repairs are completed.

The investigation began this week when Monroe County Public Works informed the Sheriff’s Office of the public health hazard. Further investigation showed the men left the scene after the container fell from a box truck.

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