Members Of Bradenton Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization Plead Guilty

August 20, 2024

The press release below was issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office - Middle District of Florida

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Bradenton residents Clemente Betancourt (28), Estevan Betancourt (19), Larry Lee Woodard, Jr. (29), Adonis Bonilla (29), Omar Mejia (29), Jesse Leahy (48), and Alexander Perez (30) have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.  Each faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. Sentencing dates have not yet been set.

According to court documents, between March 2022 and May 2023, the individuals named above 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, the individuals have also pleaded guilty to substantive charges on specific dates.

During the arrests, a search warrant was executed at Clemente and Estevan Betancourt’s house in Bradenton. As a result of that search, three firearms, approximately one pound of methamphetamine, 22 cellphones, cocaine, and marijuana were seized. 

The United States intends to forfeit all property, which is alleged to be traceable to the proceeds of the offenses.

This case was investigated by a joint Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) which includes Homeland Security Investigations Tampa (HSI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 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. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Guzman, David Sullivan, and Suzanne Nebesky.

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.