Lee County Sheriff Issues Stern Warning to Criminals: "Stay Clear or Face Immediate Jail

Sheriff Carmine Marceno of Lee County, Florida, has a clear message for criminals: if you're thinking of committing crimes in his county, be prepared to be hunted down and charged to the full extent of the law.

In the midst of ongoing debates over criminal justice reform, Florida sheriffs have been making headlines for their no-nonsense approach to law enforcement. Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno is no exception. The former New Yorker has taken a hard line on criminals who think they can "play" in his county, vowing to "hunt" them down.

Marceno has blasted liberal cities for their soft approach to crime, arguing that it has led to increased lawlessness and disorder. He has also criticized people who flee states like New York and California, seeking refuge in Florida's more conservative environment, but then continue to vote for the same policies that have created the problems they left behind.

"They want to leave California. They want to leave New York. Okay. And then they come down to a state like Florida, where we are law and order, and they don't change their views," Marceno said in an interview with Fox News Digital. "You left a place where there's havoc, where people can rob, steal, loot, do drugs in safe havens. And then you're upset that it's so bad there, and you come here and still do the same thing. Same action, same result."

Marceno's message is clear: those who support far-left policies should stay away from Lee County. "If you don't like living with law and order, have a nice day. Leave. Go back to where you came from because we don't want you here," he said.

The sheriff pointed to the alarming rise in unprovoked attacks in cities like New York, where people are being punched in the face for no reason. "The world has gone crazy," he said.

Marceno's tough stance on crime has resonated with many Floridians, who appreciate his willingness to take a strong stand against lawlessness. He has become known for his viral TikTok videos, which feature massive drug busts and him dancing with his SWAT team outside of shut down drug dens. Commenters have praised him as "more gangster than gangsters" and "the best sheriff in America."

Since Marceno was elected in 2018, he has executed nearly 800 search warrants and worked over 3,300 cases in narcotics, resulting in just under 2,000 physical arrests. He has warned criminals that they will be guaranteed a place at the "Marceno Motel" – his nickname for the county jail.

The general tone from Florida sheriffs is markedly different from that of law enforcement agencies in other cities. Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson has said that home invaders should ideally be shot, while Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd has told gun-owning residents to turn robbers into "grated cheese."

Marceno dismisses the notion that the criminal justice system is racist, calling it "fiction." He also urges voters who support pro-criminal policies to not vote for him. "I'll tell people routinely, if you don't like that I stand for law and order, and you don't like that we incarcerate bad people, I'm not the person to vote for. I prefer you don't vote for me," he said.