Violent Drug Ring Busted, $3M In Marijuana Seized: St. Pete Police

TAMPA BAY, FL — What began as a gun violence investigation in St. Petersburg at the beginning of the year turned into a multi-agency task force — dubbed Operation Coquina Key — that broke up a violent Tampa Bay area drug ring, authorities said.

In January, the St. Petersburg Police Department began investigating gun violence in the city, Chief Anthony Holloway said during a Tuesday morning news conference at St. Petersburg police headquarters.

“It came back to one thing: the shootings that were happening in our city were related to drug sales in our city,” he said.

Investigators linked the shootings to a major drug ring and began looking into several suspects trafficking in large amounts of marijuana and other drugs.

By comparing bullet shell casings with information from the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, the drug ring was found to be connected to shootings throughout Pinellas County, Holloway said.

Because of the group’s ties to other jurisdictions throughout the Tampa Bay area and Central Florida, Holloway partnered with other local, state and federal agencies. They hosted their first meeting on “how to reduce violent crimes in the Tampa Bay area,” in April, the chief said.

They pooled their resources and by June, had a plan on how to target the group causing much of the violent crime in the region, according to Holloway.

“We took down the barrier,” he said. “This wasn’t St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Hillsborough County, Manatee County. We saw the violent crime in the Tampa Bay area.”

They learned that a large drug shipment in a filled semi-tractor trailer truck was delivered to the Tampa Bay area from California each week — “sometimes two loads” — according to Holloway.

Sold at wholesale, each delivery was worth about $1.8 million and had a street value of about $3 million, he added.

Throughout the long-term investigation, the task force completed more than 130 warrants and 130 subpoenas.

During the last two weeks the following was seized during the execution of six search warrants and 26 arrests:

• About 1800 lbs. of marijuana (approximately $3 million street value)
• 15 guns (three of them were stolen)
• $360,000 in cash
• 7 lbs. of liquid promethazine (codeine)
• 42 grams of crack cocaine
• 40 grams of powder cocaine
• 5 grams of methamphetamine
• 18 grams of heroin/fentanyl mix
• 252 BU Crystals
• 1,054 grams of THC wax
• two stolen vehicles
• six vehicles seized

Officials said that as the investigation continues, more arrests are expected.

“If you are selling drugs, if you are committing violent crimes in the Tampa Bay area, we are coming with everything we have,” Holloway said.

The other agencies involved in this task force included the Pinellas Pasco State Attorney’s Office, Clearwater Police Department, Tampa Police Department, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives) Tampa Field Division, Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI Tampa office.