Eight people charged with distribution of methamphetamine and cocaine

MIAMI – On April 18, eight defendants were arrested on a 12-count indictment charging them with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, as well as distribution of methamphetamine and cocaine.

The indictment alleges that Alain Romero, 33, of Hialeah Gardens, Florida, Mauricio Herrera, 40, of Hialeah, Florida, Anthony Lee Davis, 27, of Naples, Florida, David Martinez Ortega, 35, of Naples, Patricia Correa Ramirez, 28, of Miami, Andy Cabrera, 28, of Miami, and Yanker Perez-Diaz, 34, of Westland, Michigan, a member of the Latin Kings gang in Miami, were part of a drug trafficking organization that trafficked methamphetamine and cocaine in Florida. According to the allegations in the indictment, Martinez and Davis distributed the drugs from Naples to Miami, at the direction of Oscar David Cardona, 29, of Miami, another member of the Latin Kings gang.

Davis and Martinez were arrested in Naples, Perez-Diaz was arrested in Westland and Herrera, Ortega, Cabrera and Ramirez were arrested in Miami. The arrests were coordinated between the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Florida and Eastern District of Michigan.

Cardona was arrested on Aug. 31, 2023, in Miami-Dade County for a state probation violation. He is currently in state custody.

On April 19, Davis and Martinez made their initial appearances in the Middle District of Florida, Perez-Diaz made his initial appearance in the Eastern District of Michigan, and Herrera, Ortega, Ramirez, and Cabrera made their initial appearances in the Southern District of Florida. If convicted, the defendants face up to life in prison, criminal fines of up to $10,000,000 and a period of supervised release of up to life.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami; U.S. Marshal Gadyaces S. Serralta of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS); Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division; Director Stephanie V. Daniels of the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD); Sheriff Gregory Tony of the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO); Chief Alexander E. Rolle Jr. of the Homestead Police Department; Chief of Police Jeffrey Devlin of the Hollywood Police Department; Chief of Police Manuel A. Morales of the Miami Police Department; Sheriff Kevin Rambosk of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), and Director Dave Kerner of the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) made the announcement.

The DEA Miami Field Division, HSI Miami, USMS Miami, USPIS Miami, MDPD, BSO, Homestead PD, Hollywood PD, Miami Police Department, CCSO, and FHP investigated the case with assistance from the DEA Miami Field Division, Homestead and Fort Myers Resident Offices as well as the DEA Detroit Field Division (and their local police departments). The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Middle District of Florida and Eastern District of Michigan provided invaluable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Yara Dodin is prosecuting the case.

An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20128.

###