Miami cocaine 'ringleader' busted, recruited delivery drivers, cops say

Miami-Dade Corrections

By: Andy Slater

Three-hundred grams of cocaine were packaged and ready to be delivered to customers in Miami on Thursday. Instead, two woman were arrested. 

Police say Maria Martinez, 67, was the "ringleader of a large cocaine and marijuana trafficking ring operating in Miami-Dade County," according to the exclusively-obtained arrest report.

Also busted was 59-year-old Regina Cardo, one of the several delivery drivers police say Martinez recruited. In addition to the 300 grams of cocaine Martinez allegedly had on her, Cardo had another 46 grams, the report says.

Police also arrested several of Martinez's customers as they watched this operation go on for a while.

Most of the drugs were kept at Martinez's Southwest Miami-Dade home, police say.

Martinez was charged with cocaine trafficking and is being held on $150,000 bond. Cardo is behind bars facing the same charges, but her bond is $151,000. She was also popped for having a gram of marijuana. 

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(Photo: Miami-Dade Corrections)