The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office conducted a saturation patrol over the weekend of August 7th and 8th, in the area of the West corridor of the county which netted 33 arrests and 16 firearms confiscated, according to the Osceola Sheriff’s Office.

The overall goal of this saturation patrol was to address the house parties which have been taking place in the area and have received national media attention, calling them “COVID parties.” These parties have resulted in multiple violent incidents including shootings over the last several weeks and one homicide.

Charges from the operation included Possession of Cocaine, Armed Trafficking, Possession of Heroin, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Driving while License Suspended, and multiple warrant arrests.

Last month, officials with the Sheriff’s Office said they had received more than 600 noise complaints since March pertaining to the parties. Osceola’s Sheriff Gibson has been saying for months that “unsavory” people and gangs have been hosting massive parties at short-term vacation rental homes with the intention of spreading COVID-19.