MARATHON, FL – A 65-year-old fishing charter captain in the Florida Keys was arrested after allegedly trying to sell cocaine to undercover deputies, telling them to bring a cooler so the transaction would look like they were just picking up fish.
Bradford Todd Picariello, owner of Outlaw Fishing Charters in Marathon, now faces federal trafficking charges after authorities say they seized approximately 23 kilograms of cocaine from the sting operation. He allegedly boasted that he had an additional 100 pounds of the drug available for purchase.
The bust went down around 3 p.m. Monday when Picariello allegedly met with undercover Monroe County deputies to complete a drug deal. According to investigators, he told the undercover agent to bring a cooler to make the exchange look like a typical fishing charter transaction.
Picariello allegedly handed over one kilogram of cocaine for the buyer to place in the cooler and was waiting to collect $10,000 in cash when deputies swarmed in and placed him under arrest.
A search of the scene turned up the 23 kilograms of cocaine, all stamped with the marking “332.” Officers also seized a .40-caliber handgun, roughly $8,000 in cash, and Picariello’s 38-foot fishing vessel.
But the drugs kept coming. Picariello allegedly revealed the location of a storage unit containing even more cocaine, which authorities subsequently searched and recovered.
The case is expected to be prosecuted federally with assistance from the DEA, Customs and Border Protection, and Border Patrol.
Picariello was booked on charges of cocaine trafficking, selling cocaine, and possession of cocaine. He is being held pending his first court appearance.
