Horvin McKenzie, Jr.
By Jill Fox
A Coral Springs resident was charged for attempted murder of a Plantation police detective during a drug trafficking incident.
On April 23, Horvin McKenzie, Jr. 28, and David Johnathan Ventura, 32, were arrested after a shootout in Dania Beach, which injured a detective assisting the DEA.
McKenzie and Ventura met with a confidential source in Coral Springs, describing a plan to transport 180 kilos of cocaine from the Dominican Republic to South Florida.
According to the Sun-Sentinel, the incident started just after 1 p.m. in the gravel lot Bass Pro and Diver’s Direct at the 200 block of Gulf Stream Way. McKenzie, Ventura, and the buyer allegedly met at that location to make the narcotics deal.
DEA Agents who had been investigating the case knew about the meeting and were positioned at the location. As agents neared Ventura’s car, he began shooting at them, hitting the officer once in his arm and once in his bullet-proof vest.
Agents returned fire, hitting Ventura, and both men were taken into custody.
A loaded semi-automatic handgun was found in McKenzie’s vehicle, and a handgun was found in Ventura’s. Police believe Ventura’s gun was the one used during the afternoon shootout.
According to the Sun-Sentinel, McKenzie, who said he had a permit for the gun, admitted to brokering the deal, saying he would net a $1,000 profit from the exchange.
Neither had life-threatening injuries.
On May 3, McKenzie and Ventura were charged with attempted murder of a law enforcement officer and drug trafficking. If convicted, both men face up to life in prison with a mandatory minimum term of ten years imprisonment.
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