ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Workplace says it busted a drug trafficking group that had been working for years.
By the numbers:
On Monday and Tuesday, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri stated deputies arrested 19 folks, served six search warrants, seized greater than two kilograms or 4.4 kilos of cocaine, six ounces of fentanyl, 1.5 kilos of methamphetamine, and quite a few faux Oxycodone tablets that contained fentanyl and pretend Adderall tablets that contained methamphetamine. A tablet press, an AK-47, a rifle, seven handguns, together with one which was stolen, greater than 1,000 rounds of ammunition and $14,000 in money was additionally seized in the course of the operation.
The backstory:
In response to PCSO, the investigation started in August 2024 when Sophia Cubero, who lived in Clearwater, was promoting cocaine together with her boyfriend on the time, Alejandro DeLeon and an undercover PCSO detective stated he purchased an 8-ball or 3.5 grams of cocaine from the couple.
The detective stated that, based mostly on his dialog with Cubero, it was evident that she might provide much more cocaine and will give the undercover detective giant portions of methamphetamine.
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Cubero advised the detective she bought ounces of cocaine for about $1100 and ounces of methamphetamine for about $250.
Between August 2024 and April 2025, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri stated detectives made quite a few undercover purchases of cocaine and methamphetamine from Cubero and DeLeon.
Dig deeper:
Whereas investigating, detectives recognized Ali Ateia as certainly one of Cubero’s sources of provide for the cocaine. In addition they realized that Ali Atia was working along with his brothers to make faux Oxycodone tablets utilizing fentanyl and Adderall.
The sheriff stated faux Adderall is made with methamphetamine and pretend Oxycontin is made with fentanyl.
Gualtieri stated Cubero was additionally shopping for cocaine from Kevin Muthe.
“What was turning into evident was that Ali Atia and Ahmed Ateia had been part of this Atia household drug distribution,” the sheriff said.
The bottom of the operation, in keeping with the sheriff, was at an residence off Drew Road in Clearwater.
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In December 2024, undercover detectives started shopping for faux Oxycodone tablets from Cubero, which deputies stated she was getting from Ali Ateia.
In response to Gualtieri, Cubero initially bought the tablets for $20 apiece. However because the variety of tablets the undercover detective purchased elevated, the value decreased to about $9 a tablet.
Cubero was additionally promoting straight methamphetamine to the undercover detectives, in keeping with the sheriff.
Gualtieri estimates that the Ateia household, together with the brothers’ mother and father, was promoting kilos of cocaine, kilos of methamphetamine, faux Oxycodone that was actually fentanyl and pretend Adderall that was actually methamphetamine. He stated they had been promoting between 6,000-10,000 tablets a month.
What they’re saying:
“The Ateia household bought their medicine to varied mid-level drug traffickers who would promote them to others, together with our undercover detectives,” Gualtieri stated.
The sheriff added, “Undercover detectives made about 20 purchases of medication from the Ateia group between August 2024 and April 2025. Detectives bought about one pound of cocaine, about 2200 tablets of faux Oxycodone and Adderall tablets that contained fentanyl and methamphetamine. We arrested 19 folks on Monday and Tuesday on 113 completely different drug prices starting from armed drug trafficking to easy possession of the medicine.”
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In response to the sheriff, lots of the folks arrested are going through the minimal necessary sentence of 25 years in jail and aside from the Ateia mother and father, all of these arrested have intensive prison histories.
The Supply: This story was written with data offered by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Workplace throughout a press convention on Wednesday.
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