Truck tractors hauled 132 pounds of cocaine to Florida, sheriff says

“Somebody sees this, you’re just thinking this trucker’s going about their business,” Gualtieri said. The group followed its routine every month, according to the sheriff. Gualtieri said three men arrived near Interstate 75 in Wesley Chapel before checking into a hotel. A rented SUV accompanied the tractors during each Florida trip, according to Gualtieri.

After nightfall, participants allegedly transferred cocaine-filled duffel bags to Pinales. Gualtieri said Pinales took each delivery to an empty apartment near Tampa’s Rocky Point area. Pinales allegedly distributed kilograms throughout Pinellas County while the Texas suspects waited nearby. The sheriff estimated those men received about $1 million after every trip.

Investigators track July shipment

On July 10, investigators found the convoy traveling south near Lake City. Arturo Carlos drove three tractors, while Jesus Morales and Joaquin Enriquez used a rented SUV. The group spent Saturday at its usual Wesley Chapel hotel. Around 8 p.m., Morales and Enriquez removed three duffel bags from a black tractor.

Investigators watched Pinales leave Brandon in a rented Honda minivan and travel north on Interstate 75. Both vehicles met inside a dark parking lot near Fletcher Avenue in Tampa. Detectives saw Morales and Enriquez transfer those bags into Pinales’ vehicle. Gualtieri said Pinales fled before officers apprehended him.

Deputies found three duffel bags containing 60 kilograms inside the minivan. Gualtieri converted that amount to approximately 132 pounds. “It has a street value of about $2.1 million,” he said. “This was happening every single month,” the sheriff added.

Charges follow operation

Pinales faces one cocaine-trafficking count and a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence. A judge set his bail at $2.25 million. Gualtieri said comparable monthly loads could total more than 700 kilograms annually. “The amount of cocaine that Daniel Pinales was putting on the streets of Pinellas County is just simply astronomical.”

Authorities charged Carlos with two trafficking counts and Tyler Green with four. Marice Higgins received eight cocaine-related charges, as did Brian Varner. Records list one count apiece for Morales, Enriquez, Cody Dent, plus Ryan Sturgis. Higgins also faces marijuana distribution and firearm possession allegations.

Morales and Enriquez returned to the hotel after meeting Pinales, according to Gualtieri. Officers arrested both men there, along with Carlos. The sheriff said investigators identified similar deliveries elsewhere across the country. “This investigation is ongoing, and it’s not over with,” Gualtieri said. All charges remain allegations. Prosecutors must prove every count beyond a reasonable doubt.

Click here for more articles on cargo theft and freight fraud by Phil Brink.

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