BAY COUNTY, Fla. – The Bay County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of a 27-year-old man following a narcotics trafficking investigation that led to the seizure of more than 144 grams of fentanyl.
According to the sheriff’s office, the Special Investigations Division concluded an extensive investigation into fentanyl trafficking that resulted in the arrest of Deondre Hightower. Investigators said Hightower was operating out of Pensacola and traveled to Bay County on two occasions to sell fentanyl to an undercover narcotics investigator.
During the first transaction, deputies said Hightower delivered 29.7 grams of fentanyl. In a second transaction, he delivered 114.6 grams, bringing the total amount seized during the investigation to 144.3 grams.
Investigators noted that even small amounts of fentanyl can be lethal, with as little as two milligrams considered a potentially fatal dose for most adults.
Hightower was taken into custody without incident on Jan. 7, 2026, with assistance from the Criminal Investigations Division and Warrants Division in Panama City Beach, authorities said.
He was charged with two counts of trafficking in fentanyl over 28 grams, two counts of unlawful use of a two-way communication device, possession of cocaine, and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia. The sheriff’s office said Hightower faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 25 years in prison on the fentanyl trafficking charges.
The Bay County Sheriff’s Office said it remains committed to aggressively targeting narcotics traffickers who bring dangerous drugs into the community.
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