Rocky Jimenez, a known gang member and one of eight individuals identified in a 2023 undercover narcotics operation, was sentenced Thursday to 15 years in prison for his role in a drug-trafficking ring. Jimenez pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking in Fentanyl, possession of Fentanyl, and conspiracy to sell Methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of public housing.
The investigation, led by the Bradenton Police Department Narcotics Unit, involved a collaborative effort with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Central Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA)-Gulf Coast Task Force, and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
In August 2023, task force detectives and agents learned that Pedro Garcia, a documented gang member and convicted felon, was allegedly using multiple co-conspirators, including Jimenez, to distribute drugs throughout the City of Bradenton and Manatee County. Investigators secured a wiretap warrant for Garcia’s phone, and intercepted communications revealed numerous calls and texts between Garcia and Jimenez. Detectives also observed Jimenez conducting narcotics transactions…