US charter boat captain arrested after allegedly selling kilos of cocaine

A Florida Keys charter boat captain was arrested in a multi-agency drug operation after allegedly attempting to sell kilos of cocaine he claimed to have discovered at sea.

Bradford Todd Picariello, 65, was taken into custody following an alleged sale of a kilo of cocaine for $10,000 to an undercover detective with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, according to a statement from the department, New York Post reports.

The arranged transaction occurred at the marina in Marathon where Picariello operates his coincidentally named business, Outlaw Fishing Charters. Investigators say Picariello instructed the undercover agent over the phone to bring a cooler to the deal to make it appear as if he were collecting fish.

Authorities allege Picariello also offered an additional 100 pounds of cocaine should the undercover agent be interested. After the “buyer” arrived, Picariello handed over the kilo of cocaine, placing it in the cooler, before deputies and agents moved in to arrest him, according to the report.

Following his arrest, Picariello reportedly disclosed that the remainder of the cocaine was stored in a separate unit, which authorities searched. There, investigators recovered nearly two dozen wrapped kilos of cocaine, all stamped with the number “332.”

In total, law enforcement seized approximately 23 kilograms of cocaine, $8,000 in cash, a .40-caliber handgun, and Picariello’s 38-foot vessel.

“I want to thank all the Sheriff’s Office members and our law enforcement partners who investigated this case and continue to work to keep dangerous drugs out of our community,” Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay said in a statement.

Picariello was ordered held without bond on charges of trafficking cocaine, selling cocaine, and possessing cocaine. High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area investigators, US Customs and Border Protection, US Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and CBP Air and Marine Operations all assisted in the investigation. Authorities indicated the case is expected to be prosecuted at the federal level.

By Vafa Guliyeva