“Operation El Primo” Dismantles Major Cocaine Ring in Miami

A major cocaine trafficking organization operating across several Miami neighborhoods has been dismantled following the arrest of 20 suspects, Miami Police announced Tuesday.

The arrests came during the second wave of “Operation El Primo,” a coordinated effort involving Miami Police, the FBI, and federal and state prosecutors. Early-morning raids led to the capture of what authorities described as “high-priority defendants,” many of whom were already named in federal indictments.

Police said some of those arrested were connected to a murder-for-hire plot that was uncovered and stopped before it could be carried out.

The drug operation was described as highly sophisticated and centered primarily in the Flagami neighborhood, with activity extending into Little Havana and Coral Way. During the operation, investigators seized more than 22 kilograms of cocaine, over $120,000 in cash, along with firearms and ammunition.

Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales said the takedown sends a strong message to criminal organizations operating in the city.

“Drug trafficking and the violence that follows it will not be tolerated in Miami,” Morales said, praising the extensive undercover work carried out by narcotics detectives. He also highlighted the collaboration with the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office as critical to the operation’s success.

Authorities said the investigation involved hundreds of hours of surveillance and intelligence gathering and emphasized that the arrests were carried out without incident.