Undercover Operation Leads to 5 Arrests and Massive Drug Bust in Florida

Miami, Florida: The authorities in Bradenton made a successful drug bust and arrested 5 gang members. The Bradenton Police Department briefed on Thursday about the operation.

Following a five-month undercover operation, the Bradenton Police detained five members of a drug-trafficking network. Three more arrest warrants have been issued by the police against 3 suspects.

Detectives claim to have discovered in August that Pedro Garcia, a convicted felon and known member of a gang, was selling cocaine in Manatee County with several accomplices. For the investigation, the department’s Narcotics Unit collaborated with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Central Florida High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area-Gulf Coast Task Force.

Undercover investigators were able to purchase cocaine from Garcia and wiretap his phone during the course of the investigation.

Police pulled over a car that was seen leaving Garcia’s house on December 4. Authorities claim to have found 924.4 grams of methamphetamine during the stop.

Later, on December 21 and 22, the officers executed several search warrants. Garcia’s residence and one more location were searched. They found two rifles, two handguns, and 72.4 grams of fentanyl.

The 41-year-old Garcia is charged with three charges of fentanyl trafficking, conspiracy to traffic in fentanyl, conspiracy to sell methamphetamine within a thousand feet of public housing, four counts of handgun possession by a gang-related convicted felon, and four counts of ammunition possession by a gang-related convicted felon.

Other arrested members are:

  • Rocky Jimenez
  • Ernestina Gutierrez
  • Cynthia Gutierrez-Mendez
  • Gerardo Casiano

Arrest warrants have been issued against Pablo Adrian Estrada, 32; Francisco Flores III, 38 and Laquinton Trevon Hart, 30.

Many drug charges have been brought on the arrested suspects. The authorities have not released the mugshots of the detained suspects.