DANIA BEACH, Fla. – It began as a cocaine investigation and it was supposed to be a takedown, but it turned into a shootout on Friday with police.
Horvin McKenzie is now behind bars and according to a federal criminal complaint, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) special agents had been focused on him for a few weeks.
It goes on to say that McKenzie met with two of the agency’s confidential informants about a drug deal on April 6. On April 18, he told them he would meet them in a few days at the Bass Pro Shops in Dania Beach to conduct the drug deal.
On Friday, McKenzie and David Jonathan Ventura allegedly showed up with two kilos of cocaine in exchange for $64,000.
Agents and detectives were waiting and boxed in the suspects’ cars with their own vehicles.
That’s when they say Ventura shot at them injuring a Plantation detective assigned to BSO’s Drug Task Force in the arm.
Officers returned fire and shot Ventura. Local 10 News cameras caught the suspect getting wheeled into the hospital.
Both Ventura and the Plantation detective sustained non-life threatening injuries.
McKenzie is expected to appear in federal court Monday.