A central Florida man and woman face felony drug trafficking charges after local law enforcement intercepted them at a hotel with a kilogram of cocaine hidden inside their vehicle.
Harry Cruz-Gonzalez, 38, and Maria Pena-Rosario, 34, were taken into custody on Thursday, July 23, in Jacksonville’s Southpoint neighborhood. The arrests followed a long-term investigation by the Narcotics Unit Major Case Section into allegations that the pair was bringing cocaine into the community.
According to investigators, detectives received information on Wednesday, July 22, that the two were traveling from central Florida to Jacksonville with plans to sell a kilogram of the drug.
Detectives located and stopped the couple at the Southpoint hotel the following day. During a search of their car, officers discovered the kilogram of cocaine concealed inside a custom trap built into the vehicle. Detectives also seized more than $2,300 in cash.
Both Cruz-Gonzalez and Pena-Rosario were booked on charges of trafficking in cocaine. Cruz-Gonzalez faces additional charges of possession of marijuana and resisting without violence.
Following the bust, law enforcement emphasized their ongoing focus on drug enforcement, stating, “We will stop at nothing to get drugs off our streets.”
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