A search warrant at a house on Pelican Way in North Palm Beach turned up a sprawling cache of narcotics and 26 firearms, leading police to arrest four people who lived there or were staying in the home. Officers reported finding cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA, marijuana, LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, anabolic steroids and unprescribed prescription pills scattered across multiple rooms of the residence.
North Palm Beach police said detectives encountered Ryan George Smith, Shana Louise Allamani, Gabriela Camila Ortiz and Carlos R. Portela during the search, according to CBS12. Allamani shared the primary bedroom with Portela, where detectives said they recovered roughly 188.8 grams of suspected cocaine, 6.5 grams of suspected methamphetamine, 8.7 grams of suspected MDMA tablets, marijuana, scales, small plastic baggies and prescription medications not prescribed to anyone in the home.
That cocaine weight places Allamani squarely inside Florida's trafficking threshold. Under Florida Statute § 893.135, possessing between 28 and 200 grams of cocaine is a first-degree felony carrying a mandatory minimum of three years in prison and a $50,000 fine, according to the Florida Legislature. The statute leaves judges no discretion to reduce that prison term upon conviction.
What Detectives Found in the Guest Bathroom
A guest bathroom in the home yielded 18 suspected LSD gel tabs and about 1 gram of suspected cocaine, along with marijuana, per the affidavit cited by the station's report. Detectives also found a backpack and briefcase linked to Smith in that same bathroom, which Jupiter Police K-9 Bach alerted to during the search, per the affidavits referenced in the same account.
The suspected LSD will be sent to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Crime Laboratory, which relies on instrumental methods like mass spectrometry and gas chromatography to confirm suspected narcotics and verify dosage units submitted by municipal departments, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Smaller municipal agencies like North Palm Beach commonly lean on neighboring specialized units, including Jupiter's K-9 program, during narcotics warrant executions.
A Second Bedroom, More Drugs and Dozens of Guns
Smith and Ortiz used another bedroom in the house, where detectives reported finding about 6.7 grams of suspected cocaine and 463 grams of suspected psilocybin mushrooms, along with marijuana, Adderall and vials of anabolic steroids. Police said drug paraphernalia turned up throughout the residence, and 26 firearms were recovered in various locations across the home.
Allamani was charged with cocaine trafficking, possession of LSD, methamphetamine, MDMA and psilocybin mushrooms, unlawful possession of prescription drugs, drug paraphernalia possession, possession of cocaine with intent to sell, and using a two-way device to facilitate a felony. Per the affidavit, she admitted possessing the cocaine, MDMA, methamphetamine, psilocybin mushrooms, suspected LSD and paraphernalia found in the home, and police surveillance and statements indicate she and Smith used two-way communication devices to facilitate narcotics sales.
Felony Firearm Charge Looms Over Smith
Smith was charged with possession of cocaine, marijuana, LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, anabolic steroids and prescription drugs without a prescription, along with drug paraphernalia possession, tampering with evidence, and using a two-way device to facilitate a felony. Per the affidavit, he is also listed for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon pending confirmation of a qualifying conviction, which would also trigger a loss of his firearm rights. Smith declined to speak with detectives, according to the documents reviewed by the station.
Under Florida Statute § 790.23, a convicted felon possessing a firearm commits a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison, with actual physical possession carrying a three-year mandatory minimum under the state's 10-20-Life provisions, the Florida Legislature notes. The law separates actual possession from constructive possession in shared living spaces, a distinction that could matter given the house's multiple occupants.
Separately, the two-way communication device charge against both Allamani and Smith stems from Florida Statute § 934.215, which makes using a cell phone, computer or two-way radio to further a felony a third-degree offense punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine, per the Florida Legislature. Prosecutors routinely add that charge whenever electronic devices are used to coordinate illicit sales, according to the same statute's framework.
Evidence Tampering and Remaining Charges
Ortiz was charged with possession of cocaine, marijuana, another controlled substance and prescription drugs without a prescription, plus drug paraphernalia possession and tampering with evidence. She admitted trying to destroy evidence by attempting to flush drugs and other items down the guest bathroom toilet, according to the police report, and told detectives that Smith was selling narcotics and that she knew drugs and firearms were inside the home, per the affidavit.
Ortiz's alleged attempt to flush drugs and other items down the guest bathroom toilet led to an evidence-tampering charge.
Portela allegedly admitted possessing cocaine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia, per the police report, and faced charges of drug possession, marijuana possession, drug equipment possession and possession of a harmful drug without a prescription, according to Palm Beach County jail records. He was also linked to potential prescription-drug possession involving Adderall found in his vehicle, per the same report. Jail booking logs maintained by Palm Beach County correctional records show all four — Allamani, Smith, Ortiz and Portela — were formally processed into the county jail on October 7.
A North Palm Beach Home and a Major Drug Bust
The scale of the seizure stands out against the residential setting of the North Palm Beach home.
The North Palm Beach bust involved multiple suspected substances, including cocaine and stimulants, as well as firearms.
