7 Bradenton men guilty of trafficking meth in Manatee County, federal prosecutors say
Seven members of a Bradenton methamphetamine trafficking organization pleaded guilty to drug charges, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida announced.
Clemente Betancourt, 28; Estavan Betancourt, 19; Larry Lee Woodard Jr., 29; Adonis Bonilla, 29; Omar Mejia, 29; Jesse Leahy, 48; Alexander Perez, 30, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, federal prosecutors said.
Sentencing hearings will be held at a later date.
Each faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison, according to a news release.
Between March 2022 and May 2023, prosecutors say members of the trafficking organization were involved in a conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine in Bradenton and throughout Manatee County.
Prosecutors say three firearms, one pound of methamphetamine, 22 cell phones, cocaine and marijuana were seized from Clemente and Estevan Betancourt’s house in Bradenton.
This case was investigated by several law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations Tampa and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
