A minor-league pitcher was arrested at his Hialeah home last Thursday after deputies served a search warrant and reported finding suspected cocaine, firearms and cash. The arrest capped a Miami-Dade narcotics investigation that officials say included several controlled buys at the property. The 27-year-old suspect has been booked on trafficking-related charges and remains in custody.
Search warrant and seizure
Investigators say a confidential informant carried out four controlled buys at the house in January and February before deputies secured a warrant for 390 West 53rd Avenue. According to NBC 6 South Florida, deputies reported recovering 48 small clear baggies holding about 44 grams of suspected powder cocaine inside a purse, along with another bag containing roughly 8 grams in the master bedroom closet.
Officials also say they seized two firearms and $1,206 in cash. The arrest report lists counts that include armed trafficking of cocaine and maintaining a place for trafficking, suggesting investigators believe the home was more than a casual stash spot.
Player background
The man arrested was identified as Yusniel Padron Artiles, 27. His official MiLB profile lists him as born in Havana, Cuba, notes that he attended Miami-Dade College, and shows that he has pitched in the Boston Red Sox system for clubs that have included the Portland Sea Dogs. The same profile tracks his minor-league transactions and statistical history from his time in affiliated baseball.
Legal stakes
Under Florida law, trafficking is a quantity-based offense with mandatory minimum penalties once certain weight thresholds are met. For cocaine, the trafficking threshold starts at 28 grams. The amounts deputies say they seized, roughly 52 grams combined, exceed that line and can trigger mandatory minimum prison terms and significant fines under state law.
As outlined by the Florida Senate in F.S. 893.135, those weight tiers carry escalating minimum sentences. Prosecutors still must prove the elements of the crime in court before any penalties come into play, but the statutory framework gives a sense of what is at stake if there is a conviction.
What happens next
Miami-Dade deputies say Padron Artiles was booked into county custody on charges that include armed trafficking and possession of a place for trafficking, according to the arrest report. Court records listing an arraignment date were not immediately available, and officials told reporters the investigation remains active…