2 Arrested in Tampa Smoke Shop Raids

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies served simultaneous warrants at three Waters Avenue smoke shops Thursday, netting the seizure of more than 860 grams of “spice” and two arrests.

Spice, or K2, is an illegal substance. It contains a mix of herbs and chemicals meant to mimic the effects of other drugs, such as marijuana. Often packaged to be attractive to children, many of the ingredients used in spice production are illegal in Florida

Thursday’s warrant searches came on the heels of a “lengthy investigation into the illegal sale of synthetic cannabinoids, also known as ‘spice,’ “ the sheriff’s office wrote in an email to media.

A search of Angel’s Smoke Shop, 4040 W. Waters Ave., Suite 101, netted 361 grams of spice. Damien Rodriguez, 35, was charged with possession of a controlled substance and two counts of delivery of a controlled substance, the email stated.

Deputies also seized more than 409 grams of spice from Angel’s Vapor World, 4002 W. Waters Ave., Suite 9. Peter Muise, 47, was charged with possession of a controlled substance and two counts of delivery of a controlled substance following that search, deputies say.

The third shop visited was Oak Tree Smoke, 3911 W. Waters Avenue, Suite 13, where another 89 grams of spice was recovered. No arrests were announced in association with that warrant search.

The investigation remains active, deputies noted.

Photos of Damien Rodriguez, Peter Muise and the seized items courtesy of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office