Polk County Memorial Day Crackdown: 11 Arrests, Multiple DUIs & Undocumented Immigrants Apprehended

Staff Reporter  | iSkyNews.com (ISC News)

Published May 28th, 2025

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POLK COUNTY, FL – May 28, 2025 – The Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) conducted a targeted traffic initiative over the Memorial Day weekend, resulting in 11 arrests, with six individuals charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI). Of those arrested, four were identified as being in the country illegally.

The initiative, which ran from Saturday, May 24th, through Monday, May 26th, aimed to enhance road safety during the holiday period.

Among those arrested for DUI were:

• Jose Cruz, 32, of Lakeland, was arrested on May 24th after his vehicle was observed weaving on Reynolds Road. Deputies noted slurred speech, watery eyes, and a strong odor of alcohol. Cruz admitted to consuming several beers, and his breath alcohol level registered .180, more than twice the legal limit. He also admitted to being in the country illegally from Mexico and did not possess a valid driver’s license. Cruz was charged with DUI and driving without a valid driver’s license.

• Francisco Hernandez, 50, of Fort Meade, was apprehended on May 24th after being stopped for driving without headlights on Broadway Street East. Hernandez presented a Mexican passport and admitted to having no driver’s license. Deputies detected a strong odor of alcohol, observed watery eyes, and noted his inability to maintain balance. He confessed to drinking 12 beers, and his breath alcohol content was .260, over three times the legal limit. Hernandez advised he has been in the country illegally from Mexico since 2010, leading to upgraded charges for DUI and driving without a valid driver’s license.

• Leobardo Armenta-Marcial, 40, of Lake Wales, was arrested on May 25th following reports of a vehicle crash on Alturas Babson Park Cutoff Road. Deputies located Armenta-Marcial walking nearby, appearing dirty, disoriented, and intoxicated. His heavily damaged vehicle had struck a guardrail, and open alcohol containers were found inside. Despite initially denying he was driving, Armenta-Marcial eventually admitted to crashing the vehicle. He refused field sobriety and breathalyzer tests. Investigation revealed he has four prior DUI convictions and had been previously deported due to his illegal immigration status. He faces charges of Leaving the Scene of a Crash, Driving without a Valid Driver’s License, and DUI 4th or Subsequent (a felony).

In addition to the DUI arrests, Guilherme Moreno, 32, of Orlando, was arrested on May 26th during a routine traffic stop for an expired registration. Deputies discovered his driver’s license had been canceled due to his non-US citizen status. Moreno, who admitted to being in the country illegally from Brazil, was charged with driving without a valid driver’s license and issued a citation for the expired registration.

All suspects who were found to be in the country illegally have been placed on an ICE hold in the Polk County Jail.

Sheriff Grady Judd emphasized the PCSO's commitment to road safety: "If you drive drunk in Polk County, we will arrest you, and if you’re here illegally, we will turn you over to ICE. Our deputies worked hard this weekend to keep our roads safe—and we’ll keep doing it every day."

Images related to these arrests were provided to iSkyNews.com by the Polk County Sheriff's Office. 

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