Palacio Valdes Farley, Conspiring to Traffic Marijuana, Eutylone, and MDMA, Laundering, Florida 2019

Miami, FL – A Broward County man has admitted to running a sophisticated drug trafficking operation that stretched from California to Florida prisons. Palacio Valdes Farley, the acknowledged leader and organizer, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of conspiring to traffic marijuana, eutylone, and MDMA, alongside a charge of laundering the profits from his illegal enterprise.

Federal prosecutors detailed how Farley, from approximately 2016 to 2019, built a six-member Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) responsible for sourcing drugs across state lines. Marijuana was reportedly obtained from contacts in California, while MDMA came from within South Florida. The DTO then flooded the Florida market with these illicit substances. The operation wasn’t limited to street-level dealing; Farley even attempted to expand his business behind bars.

The scheme took a dramatic turn on August 3, 2019, while Farley was already incarcerated at Jackson Correctional Institute. A member of his DTO was caught attempting to smuggle a fresh supply of marijuana, eutylone, and MDMA *into* the prison, intended for distribution to fellow inmates by Farley. This brazen attempt to run a drug ring from within prison walls underscores the depth of Farley’s criminal ambition and reach.

Beyond the drug trafficking itself, Farley also confessed to conspiring with others to launder the money generated from the operation. The goal? To disguise the origins of the dirty money, making it appear legitimate. This financial maneuvering is a key component of any large-scale drug operation, allowing criminals to enjoy their ill-gotten gains without attracting unwanted attention. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida is now pursuing asset forfeiture to seize these funds.

U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez and FBI Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro announced the guilty plea. The FBI led the investigation, with crucial assistance from the Florida Department of Corrections Office of Inspector General, the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Lauderdale and Lauderhill Police Departments, and the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dwayne E. Williams, Dayron Silverio, and Annika Miranda are prosecuting the case, with Miranda specifically handling the asset forfeiture proceedings.

United States District Judge Kathleen M. Williams has set Farley’s sentencing hearing for March 31, 2022. He now faces up to 40 years in federal prison. This case is part of the ongoing efforts of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a multi-agency partnership dedicated to dismantling major drug trafficking organizations. The case number is 19-cr-20667-Williams. Court documents are available at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

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