Florida Keys Crime

Monroe County, Florida authorities say charter boat captain Bradford Todd Picariello, 65, of Marathon was arrested this week after allegedly selling a kilogram of cocaine he claimed was found at sea to undercover detectives for $10,000 in cash. The sheriff’s office says the sting led to the seizure of a total of 23 kilograms of cocaine, a 38‑foot boat, $8,000 in cash and a .40‑caliber handgun, with photos showing bricks of cocaine marked with labels such as "332." Picariello has been charged with trafficking, selling and possessing cocaine, and the case is expected to be prosecuted federally with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration and CBP Air and Marine Operations. Officials note that drug smugglers frequently dump cocaine bales in Caribbean and Florida waters to avoid detection or for later pickup, and in the past two years multiple large bundles have washed up on Florida beaches or been found by boaters and divers, underscoring the region’s ongoing role in maritime cocaine trafficking. Sheriff Rick Ramsay used the arrest to tout joint enforcement efforts and pledge to keep "dangerous drugs" out of the Keys community.