Members Of Manatee County Methamphetamine Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced To Federal Prison

Tampa, Florida - U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced five Bradenton residents to federal prison terms for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Clemente Betancourt (29) was sentenced to 15 years and 8 months, Estevan Betancourt (20), Adonis Bonilla (29), and Omar Mejia (29) were each sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, and Alexander Perez (30) was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in federal prison. Each previously pleaded guilty for their roles in this case.

According to court documents, these individuals were involved in a conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine in Bradenton and throughout Manatee County. In addition to the conspiracy charges, they were charged with narcotics transactions on specific dates. Specifically, Clemente and Estevan Betancourt distributed methamphetamine quantities to the defendants and others. The sales of the narcotics were conducted at their home in Bradenton, as well as other locations throughout Manatee County. The defendants distributed more than 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in Manatee County.

At the time of the arrests, a search warrant was executed at Clemente and Estevan Betancourt's house in Bradenton. Three firearms, approximately one pound of methamphetamine, 22 cellphones, cocaine, and marijuana were seized.

This case was investigated by a joint Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) which includes Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The Central Florida Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), which includes the Bradenton 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 Sarasota Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also assisted with the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Guzman, David Sullivan, and Suzanne Nebesky.

This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.