More Than Four Decades of Partnership
The Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation has served Central Florida since 1978, bringing law enforcement agencies together to investigate complex criminal activity that extends beyond traditional jurisdictional boundaries.
MBI was built on a simple idea: some criminal organizations cannot be effectively investigated by one agency working alone. By combining investigators, intelligence, resources, and expertise from multiple agencies, MBI created a collaborative approach to addressing serious and organized crime throughout the region.
Over the decades, MBI has adapted as crime and technology have changed. The Bureau’s investigative priorities and capabilities have evolved, but the importance of partnerships has remained constant.
From the major narcotics and organized crime investigations of earlier decades to today’s efforts involving human trafficking, financial crime, narcotics trafficking, and other complex criminal enterprises, generations of investigators, analysts, professional staff, and partner agencies have contributed to MBI’s mission.
Our History Through the Years
This page preserves the history of MBI through significant investigations, leadership, and important milestones.
The 1970s & 1980s: Founding & Early Interdiction Efforts
1978 – Official Task Force Creation: Formed in December 1978 as a collaborative, multi-agency initiative combining the resources of the 9th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and the Orlando Police Department. The goal was to eliminate jurisdictional gaps when investigating organized crime and vice operations moving across city and county lines.
1980s – Vice & Street Narcotics Focus: Throughout the decade, MBI operated primarily as a regional specialized vice unit, focusing heavily on street-level narcotics distribution, illicit commercial operations along commercial corridors, and illegal gaming operations across Central Florida.
The 1990s & 2000s: Multi-Agency Expansion & Federal Partnerships
1990s – Regional Growth: As Central Florida’s population boomed, MBI expanded its inter-agency partnerships to include municipal police departments from surrounding cities, including Winter Park, Apopka, and Ocoee.
2000s – Federal Integration: MBI expanded into a formal joint state-federal task force by integrating federal law enforcement partners, including agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). This allowed the agency to target complex, multi-state racketeering (RICO) operations.
The 2010s: Human Trafficking Focus & National Recognition
Strategic Pivot to Victim Rescue: During the 2010s, MBI shifted a significant portion of its operational focus toward combating human trafficking, moving from traditional vice enforcement to proactive human trafficking investigations and victim advocacy.
2015 – “Operation Pop-A-Smurf”: Partnered with the Florida Attorney General to launch a two-year investigation targeting organized heroin distribution and sex trafficking networks operating out of hotels in Orange County, resulting in 25 major arrests.
2019 National HIDTA Award: Recognized nationally by the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program with the Outstanding Investigative Effort Award for dismantling a complex multi-state drug trafficking ring.
The 2020s–Present: Fentanyl Crackdowns & Major Trafficking Busts
February 2022 – Hotel Human Trafficking Investigation: MBI dismantled a human trafficking ring operating across multiple Orlando-area hotels that targeted vulnerable teens and foster youth, arresting key operators following a victim’s escape and report.
April 2022 – Counterfeit Fentanyl Network Bust: In an investigation targeting fake prescription opioids, MBI arrested 16 individuals on racketeering and drug trafficking charges for running an illicit fentanyl-laced pill distribution ring.
2022 National HIDTA Award: Earned a second national HIDTA award for outstanding investigative effort into a violent criminal organization.
July 2023 – $300,000 Human Trafficking Operation: Arrested two ringleaders operating a major human trafficking enterprise targeting women in Central Florida, successfully cutting off an operation responsible for over $300,000 in illicit profits.
MBI Today
Nearly five decades after its creation, MBI continues to bring 13 local agencies together to investigate complex criminal organizations and emerging threats affecting Central Florida. Maitland Police Department joined the task force in 2025.
The tools, technology, and types of investigations have changed considerably since 1978. The principle behind MBI has not:
Working together makes us stronger.
As MBI approaches its 50th anniversary, we remain committed to honoring those who built the Bureau while continuing to evolve for the challenges ahead.
