LIVE IN CAPE CORAL, KENNEDY MASON, GULF COAST NEWS. >> BREAKING NEWS JUST INTO OUR NEWS ROOM. A FEDERAL GRAND JURY JUST INDICTED. 24 PEOPLE IN THE COCAINE TRAFFICKING OPERATION IN SOUTH FLORIDA. AND 2 OF THOSE MEN ARE FROM NAPLES. INVESTIGATORS SAY THOSE 2 MEN WERE ALSO INVOLVED IN A MURDER-FOR-HIRE PLOT IN FORT MYERS. INVESTIGATORS SAY MARQUEZ ROMERO AND SABAN MONTERO WERE HIRED TO KILL A PERSON AND OFFERED $30,000 FOR THE JOB. THEY SAY THE PERSON WHO HIRED THEM WAS THE SIBLING OF THE PERSON THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO KILL. INVESTIGATORS SAY THE 3 EXCHANGED PHONE CALLS AND ARRANGED AN IN-PERSON MEETING TO TALK ABOUT THE PLAN TH
Four Naples men among 24 arrested in major South Florida cocaine trafficking case
Updated: 9:59 AM EST Dec 17, 2025
Four Naples men were indicted by a federal grand jury in addition to 20 other people in connection with a cocaine trafficking conspiracy throughout South Florida, including in and around Miami-Dade County.According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Miguel Marquez Romero, 29, Paulo Sabon Montero, 54, Heinrich Castillo Diaz, 47, and Jose Arnaldo Bermudez Jr., 42, are facing drug trafficking conspiracy and other related charges. The other defendants face the same charges.According to court records, the defendants are accused of conspiring to distribute multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine throughout South Florida. Law enforcement seized about seven kilograms of cocaine on April 1 and 10 kilograms of cocaine on May 27.If convicted, Marquez Romero, Castillo Diaz and Arnadlo Bermudez Jr. face up to life imprisonment, while Sabon Montero faces up to 20 years in prison.Marquez Romero and Sabon Montero were previously indicted for a thwarted murder-for-hire plot in May.DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.
MIAMI —
Four Naples men were indicted by a federal grand jury in addition to 20 other people in connection with a cocaine trafficking conspiracy throughout South Florida, including in and around Miami-Dade County.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Miguel Marquez Romero, 29, Paulo Sabon Montero, 54, Heinrich Castillo Diaz, 47, and Jose Arnaldo Bermudez Jr., 42, are facing drug trafficking conspiracy and other related charges. The other defendants face the same charges.
According to court records, the defendants are accused of conspiring to distribute multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine throughout South Florida. Law enforcement seized about seven kilograms of cocaine on April 1 and 10 kilograms of cocaine on May 27.
If convicted, Marquez Romero, Castillo Diaz and Arnadlo Bermudez Jr. face up to life imprisonment, while Sabon Montero faces up to 20 years in prison.
Marquez Romero and Sabon Montero were previously indicted for a thwarted murder-for-hire plot in May.
DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.