PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri announced Tuesday the seizing of more than $2.1 million in cocaine.
"Operation Hall of Fame" was a joint-investigation featuring the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) and the FDLE.
Tampa Bay Regional Operations Center Special Agent in Charge Mark Dubina joined Sheriff Gualtieri at the press conference, revealing the multi-year investigation into Daniel Pinales of Brandon, a suspected drug dealer, led detectives to cocaine being transported via truck tractors from El Paso, Texas to Pinellas County.
During surveillance of one of the transports on July 10, detectives arrested nine suspects, while seizing about 60 kilograms of cocaine, according to officials.
"This is the largest drug seizure from a single Pinellas County drug trafficker that I know of in the past 40 plus years," Sheriff Gualtieri said. "The amount of cocaine that Daniel Pinales was putting on the streets of Pinellas County is just simply astronomical."
Pinales, along with Jesus Morales, Arturo Carlos, Joaquin Enriquez, Tyler Green, Marice Higgins, Cody Dent, Brian Varner and Ryan Sturgis all face drug-trafficking charges.
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