PLACIDA, Fla. — The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office arrested three individuals for unlawfully harvesting saw palmetto berries in Placida.
On Saturday evening around 7 p.m., deputies responded to a 911 call reporting a suspicious vehicle parked near the bushes on Brig Circle East. Upon arrival, officers found Maria Ines Sanchez, her son Amilcar Mejia Sanchez, and his girlfriend Lady Martinez-Espinosa collecting palmetto berries without the required permits or written landowner consent.
In Florida, harvesting saw palmetto berries without a proper permit and landowner permission is illegal—even on private property. The trio had three large trash bags filled with berries in their vehicle. Saw palmetto berries are commonly sold by the pound and can fetch up to $5 during peak season, though buyers are currently paying around $1 per pound locally.
The suspects were unable to provide legal residency documents and were arrested for the illegal harvesting of saw palmetto berries, a third-degree felony in Florida. They were released on bond, with no ICE detainers placed.
Dr. John Griffis, an ecology expert at Florida Gulf Coast University, highlighted the significance of the plant both historically and ecologically. He noted that palmetto berries have been used as food and medicine for centuries and stressed their importance to wildlife, stating, “Many animals and birds rely heavily on these berries during their season.”
Griffis also pointed out the environmental damage caused by unauthorized harvesting, including harm to plants and conservation lands. He compared illegal picking to stealing fruit from others’ trees and emphasized that the plant mainly propagates through seed, making conservation critical.
