Several arrested as Pinellas deputies seize drugs, guns, money from drug operation and a dog-fighting ring
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - An ongoing narcotics operation and a dog-fighting ring has led to multiple arrests and the seizure of drugs, guns, money, and more than 100 dogs in Pinellas County.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said 13 people have been charged with multiple drug trafficking offenses, and he believes more people will be charged as the investigation continues.
Drugs seized during the operation. Image is courtesy of the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
Gualtieri said deputies also seized 54 pounds of methamphetamine, 21 pounds of cocaine, 2 pounds of black tar heroin, 2 pounds of fentanyl, 11 pounds of marijuana, 3 guns, and $57K in cash from a ‘stash house’ located at an apartment complex around U.S. 19 and Roosevelt Blvd. in Largo.
He added that while the sheriff’s office was making the seizures and arrests, the St. Petersburg Police Department was serving search warrants and making arrests in a parallel investigation.
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The investigations involved some of the same people who were buying and selling drugs. The police also uncovered a substantial dog-fighting ring.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office investigation began last summer when the agency received information that Deangelo Woods was trafficking kilograms of cocaine throughout Pinellas and Hillsborough counties.
Police say they rescued 111 dogs from a dog-fighting ring. Image is courtesy of the St. Petersburg Police Department.
Gualtieri said an undercover detective bought drugs from Woods on nine separate occasions. Investigators say Woods had a local supplier, Matthew Turner, who was getting drugs shipped to the Bay Area from a dealer in Los Angeles, California.
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According to Gualtieri, the California drug dealer would ship the drugs to Tania Rodriguez’s home in Brandon and also to Pinellas County Airbnb's rented by Jasmin Silva, a Southern California resident who would travel to Florida to rent the properties.
Mugshots from Operation Snow Cap courtesy of the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
Turner and his so-called ‘right-hand man’ Henry Smith, would pick up the drugs from the Airbnb’s or Rodriguez’s home and take them to the stash house, where they would process the drugs into small amounts and sell them throughout Pinellas County via various distributors, according to the sheriff’s office.
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Last Thursday, the day before the arrests, Gualtieri said Rodriguez wrapped up a box of drugs in children’s birthday wrapping paper and took it to an Airbnb where Silva was staying. Then, the sheriff said someone else came and picked up the box.
Drugs seized during the operation. Image is courtesy of the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
"We got a lot of bad guys off the street and a lot of drugs off the street," Gualtieri said.
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Also, on Thursday, St. Pete Police Chief Anthony Holloway said police raided a home they had been investigating since last summer and were able to recover 111 dogs from a dog-fighting ring.
A dog that was one of 111 rescued from a dog-fighting ring. Image is courtesy of the St. Petersburg Police Department.
According to Holloway, investigators found the dogs in kennels in a backyard along with treadmills and dog-fighting paraphernalia.
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He said six people were charged with animal baiting and fighting. They were also charged with conspiracy to do gambling, because they were a part of a huge gambling operation.
Mugshots from Operation Pedigree. Image is courtesy of the St. Petersburg Police Department.
Holloway added that the home that was raided on 12th Avenue N. had 11 people inside at the time. Six were rescued from human trafficking and the other five were charged with drug trafficking, according to SPPD.
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Police said they found drugs in the home, but there was also cocaine and fentanyl buried in the backyard.
Police say they found the dogs kept in kennels in a backyard. Image is courtesy of the St. Petersburg Police Department.
The dogs rescued from the dog-fighting ring are friendly, according to Holloway, and will be put up for adoption.
The ASPCA said it is assisting the police department in its dog-fighting investigation by offering expertise, including offering legal support and conducting veterinary and behavior forensic exams on all the dogs to support the investigation. The ASPCA said it is also on standby to provide ongoing sheltering, medical care, and behavioral treatment and enrichment for many of the dogs at an animal cruelty recovery facility once disposition is determined.
"The ASPCA is committed to working alongside law enforcement and other animal welfare agencies to bring dog-fighting to an end by deploying our specialized subject matter experts to provide critical case support and consultation, as we are doing with this investigation," Matt Bershadker, ASPCA President & CEO said in a statement to FOX 13. "We’re deeply grateful to all the agencies involved in this case for pursuing justice for these animals and continuing to make animal welfare a priority in Florida."
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