Sarasota, FL – A joint investigation into a cocaine trafficking organization spanning Sarasota and Manatee Counties led to a significant drug bust and an arrest this week.
According to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO), detectives with the Special Investigation Section, working alongside the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), executed search warrants on Thursday, September 11, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Sarasota Police Department.
Investigators said the operation followed an undercover purchase of cocaine from Andres R. Gonzalez, 44, of Bradenton. Detectives then secured warrants to search residences in both counties.
During the raid at a home on 60th Drive East in Bradenton, MCSO deputies and DEA agents arrested Gonzalez on an outstanding warrant, charging him with one count of trafficking in cocaine. He was transported to the Manatee County Jail without incident.
At the same time, the SCSO SWAT team, supported by Sarasota police, searched a home on Lake Ridge Drive in Sarasota. Detectives reported finding 299.5 grams of cocaine at the residence.
The sheriff’s office described the investigation as ongoing and praised the operation as a collaborative success across multiple agencies.
