A former minor league baseball player was arrested at his Hialeah home last week for allegedly trafficking cocaine in Miami-Dade, authorities said.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said the arrest was part of an ongoing narcotics investigation.
A confidential informant reported in January that the suspect, 27-year-old Yusniel Padron Artiles, “was distributing large quantities of cocaine throughout Miami-Dade County,” according to an arrest report.
That informant carried out four separate controlled purchases of cocaine at a home at 390 West 53rd Avenue in January and February, the sheriff’s office said.
Miami-Dade CorrectionsMiami-Dade Corrections
27-year-old Yusniel Padron Artiles
On Feb. 19, deputies executed a search warrant at the residence and took Padron Artiles into custody.
A search of the home found 48 small, clear plastic baggies containing about 44 grams of suspected powder cocaine in a cloth bag inside a purse in the master bedroom, along with two store receipts with the suspect’s name on them, the arrest report states.
In the closet of the master bedroom, authorities allegedly found one clear, plastic baggie containing about 8 grams of suspected powder cocaine.
The sheriff’s office also located two firearms and $1,206 in cash.
Padron Artiles was booked into jail on charges include armed trafficking of cocaine and ownership, lease, rental, or possession of a place for trafficking in or manufacturing a controlled substance.
The suspect played minor league baseball for the Portland Sea Dogs before he was released in 2024, according to MILB.com. He was born in Havana, Cuba.