BRADENTON, FL – Seven residents of Bradenton are facing life in federal prison after being indicted on charges related to a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking operation that flooded Manatee County with the deadly drug. The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the unsealing of the 17-count indictment Friday, detailing a conspiracy that spanned from March 2022 to May 2023.
Charged are Clemente Betancourt (27), Estevan Betancourt (18), Larry Lee Woodard, Jr. (28), Adonis Bonilla (28), Omar Mejia (28), Jesse Leahy (47), and Alexander Perez (29). All are accused of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with the intent to distribute the drug. Each defendant could receive a maximum sentence of life behind bars if convicted on all counts. Prosecutors also intend to seize any assets obtained through the illicit operation.
The indictment alleges the group distributed more than 50 grams of methamphetamine throughout Bradenton and Manatee County. Specific dates of narcotics transactions are also included in the charges, indicating a consistent and organized effort to push the dangerous drug into the community. This wasn’t a small-time operation; it was a dedicated, months-long effort to profit from addiction.
When authorities moved in, a search warrant executed at the Bradenton home shared by Clemente and Estevan Betancourt yielded a substantial haul. Agents seized approximately one pound of methamphetamine, three firearms, 22 cellphones, along with cocaine and marijuana. The discovery of the weapons points to a willingness to use violence to protect their operation, raising concerns about the level of danger posed to the public.
The takedown was the result of a joint operation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), involving Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and a coalition of local law enforcement agencies including the Bradenton Police Department, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, North Port Police Department, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, Palmetto Police Department, and Sarasota Police Department. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) also assisted in the investigation, highlighting the multi-agency approach required to dismantle such a complex criminal network.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maria Guzman, David Sullivan, and Suzanne Nebesky are prosecuting the case. An indictment is, of course, not proof of guilt. Each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. But the evidence seized and the scope of the alleged conspiracy suggest a serious threat to the community has been neutralized – at least for now. This case underscores the ongoing battle against drug trafficking and the relentless efforts of law enforcement to keep dangerous substances off the streets.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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