Pubdate: Sat, 21 Oct 2000
Source: Tampa Tribune (FL)
Copyright: 2000, The Tribune Co.
Contact:  http://www.tampatrib.com/
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Author: Jill King Greenwood, The Tampa Tribune

DETECTIVES ARREST 1 IN POLK METH BUST

For the second time in as many weeks, Polk County detectives and agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration made a major methamphetamine bust, leading to the arrest of one man.

Agustin Miranda Gutierrez, 38, of 219 Cherry Road in Fort Meade, was arrested Thursday night and charged with trafficking in methamphetamine in excess of 200 grams and trafficking in heroin in excess of 200 grams, said Mark Baughman of the DEA Tampa Task Force. Investigators with the Polk sheriff's office Bureau of Special Operations and agents with the DEA Tampa Task Force seized 12 pounds of methamphetamine and one pound of heroin from Gutierrez' mobile home. Baughman said the methamphetamine has a street value of more than $500,000 and the heroin, about $50,000.

``These recent cases reinforce the need for additional drug enforcement in Central Florida,'' Polk Sheriff Lawrence W. Crow Jr. said. ``I'm discussing with the DEA the possibility of opening a field office in Polk County because we really need one.''

Oct. 6, Polk detectives and detectives with the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force arrested Jose Corona, 31, of Auburndale and seized about 11 pounds of methamphetamine worth about $500,000.

Baughman said detectives received a tip about Gutierrez' involvement in a drug trafficking scheme and put him under surveillance. Detectives stopped him Thursday night driving in the Peace River Bridge area of Fort Meade, Baughman said, and Gutierrez threw a package containing one pound of methamphetamine out his vehicle window.

The package was recovered by detectives and a search warrant was executed at Gutierrez' home. There, detectives say they discovered the 12 pounds of methamphetamine and one pound of heroin. They say they also confiscated MSM, a type of horse vitamin that Baughman said is used to ``cut'' the methamphetamine for distribution.

Baughman said detectives believe Gutierrez was getting the drugs from either Texas or California and bringing them to Polk County.

``It was obvious that he knew exactly where he was going in the county,'' Baughman said. ``He doesn't permanently reside here but he's been here a lot for this operation he was running. There's obviously a demand, or a user base, that led him to bringing the drugs here.''

Baughman said Gutierrez originally gave detectives false identification and they have since found out he has used 14 aliases. Gutierrez has numerous felony convictions for drug violations and other crimes, Baughman said, and he was deported to Mexico about a year ago and entered the country illegally several months ago.

Officials said the investigation is continuing and more arrests are pending.
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