RIVERVIEW, FL – A Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) detective narrowly escaped injury after being robbed at gunpoint during an undercover operation to purchase narcotics. The incident, which occurred on July 18, 2025, led to the arrest of three individuals.
Detectives with the Special Investigations Division Gang Unit arranged an undercover transaction after communicating with a social media account soliciting the sale of THC vape pens, marijuana, and Oxycodone. The meeting was set at the Reflections Apartment Complex in Riverview.
During the transaction, two individuals, identified as Daryl Cole, 17, and Christopher Samuels, 18, approached the detective. What began as a drug deal quickly escalated into an armed robbery. Both suspects allegedly brandished firearms, threatened the detective, pressed the weapons against his body, and demanded his cash. After robbing him, they attempted to steal his vehicle but fled on foot when unsuccessful…