Two Miami men, already known to law enforcement, were taken into custody Thursday evening as part of an undercover operation targeting drug trafficking in the area. The operation, which involved the Miami Police Department, DEA, Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office, and Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, culminated in the arrests at a local shopping center parking lot. NBC Miami reported that the two suspects, identified as Jose Benjamin Corujo, 31, and Jose Andre Reyes, 26, face charges of cocaine trafficking among other drug-related offenses.
Investigators followed the arrests with a search warrant at Reyes' Allapattah neighborhood home, where they made a substantial find. In addition to 181 grams of cocaine, law enforcement seized a cache of firearms, which included an AK-47 and a variety of other rifles and handguns. A mishmash of narcotics and prescription drugs such as marijuana, Oxycodone, Adderall, and Xanax were also found on the premise, according to Local 10 News. The implication of such firepower and narcotic variety speaks to the severity of this bust in Miami's ongoing battle with drug-related criminal activity.
The two men were no strangers to the law, with their criminal history factoring into the current case. Court records, cited by Local 10 News, revealed that Reyes was previously charged with attempted murder, while Corujo had prior charges of battery on a law enforcement officer. At the time of their most recent arrest, both were on probation, which complicates their legal situation further.
Details of the arrests and subsequent seizures have raised eyebrows within the community, considering the prior designations and lighter sentences given to the individuals. Reyes, for instance, was labeled a "youthful offender," despite the serious nature of his previous charge, according to Local 10 News. Corujo's previous run-in with the law stemmed from an altercation involving a Coral Gables officer, after which he was subdued with a Taser. As for their current status, both men were booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, and, as of last reporting, bond was yet to be set. The scope and implications of the seized weaponry and drugs are currently under review by the authorities.
