Drug Trafficking Ring Broken Up In Bradenton: U.S. DOJ

BRADENTON, FL — A drug trafficking ring broken up in the Bradenton area has led to charges filed against seven men, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release.

Clemente Betancourt (27), Estevan Betancourt (18), Larry Lee Woodard, Jr. (28), Adonis Bonilla (28), Omar Mejia (28), Jesse Leahy (47) and Alexander Perez (29), all residents of Bradenton, were charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.

They’ve also been charged with narcotics transactions on specific dates, the DOJ said. Each faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.

Between March 2022 and May of this year, the men were involved in a plan to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine throughout Manatee County.

At the time of their arrests, a search warrant was executed at Clemente and Estevan Betancourt’s home in Bradenton. Three guns, about 1 pound of methamphetamine, 22 cell phones, cocaine and marijuana were taken from the home.

This case was investigated by a joint Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, which includes Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The Central Florida Gulf Coast High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, which includes the Sarasota Police Department, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the North Port Police Department, the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Palmetto Police Department, the Bradenton Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, also helped with the investigation.