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Tomas Casanova, an 82-year-old Cuban, was arrested in Little Havana, Miami, after Miami police officers observed him selling crack to two other men in the parking lot of a health clinic.
The incident occurred around 3:55 PM in the parking lot of Centrum Health, located at 434 Southwest 12th Avenue, while officers were conducting a surveillance operation at the site.
According to the arrest report accessed by Telemundo 51, Frank Rodríguez-Diaz, 65 years old, arrived by bike to the group, had a brief conversation, and gave money to Raymond Vega, who is 58. He, in turn, handed the money to Casanova, who was sitting next to a tree.
The elderly man stood up, "reached into the right pocket of his cargo shorts and pulled out a white napkin" containing crack rocks, and handed one to each man, according to authorities.
An agent "gave the signal for intervention" and all three were immediately arrested.
Upon arresting Casanova, the officers found a white paper napkin in his pocket containing 11 white rocks identified as crack, along with $50 in cash.
Near the location where Rodríguez-Diaz and Vega were, two additional stones of the same substance were found.
Casanova was charged with selling crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of a church or convenience store, possession of crack cocaine, and other drug-related offenses.
That aggravated charge, outlined in Florida law, can elevate the offense to a category that carries penalties of up to 30 years in prison.
According to NBC Miami, Casanova's bail has been set at $15,000, and he is also facing an immigration hold from federal authorities, which indicates that he is not a U.S. citizen and could face deportation proceedings.
Judicial records reveal that Casanova had already been arrested in Miami-Dade in 2014 on charges of selling or possessing with intent to sell cocaine and oxycodone, which makes him a repeat offender and could aggravate his sentence.
Rodríguez-Diaz was charged with possession of crack, among other charges, while Vega's case was still under investigation at the time the news was published.
The arrest took place in one of the neighborhoods with the highest concentration of Cuban and Latin American population in Miami, which has been a recurring scene for drug operations.
In December 2025, the "Operation El Primo" dismantled a drug trafficking network in Little Havana, Flagami, and Coral Way, resulting in at least 20 arrests, the seizure of over 22 kilograms of cocaine, and more than $120,000 in cash.
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