TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Santiago Diaz, a Clearwater resident, was arrested on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges, including vehicle theft, methamphetamine trafficking, and drug possession. Officers with Florida’s Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement (OALE) tracked and apprehended him using real-time vehicle alert technology.
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson praised the swift actions of law enforcement, emphasizing their use of advanced technology to remove dangerous criminals from the streets.
Authorities detected a stolen grey Toyota Camry from Tampa on March 27, 2025, and intercepted it on Interstate 75 near White Springs. Diaz, the sole occupant, was taken into custody without incident.
Upon searching the vehicle, officers found:
18 grams of methamphetamine
6.1 grams of cannabis
Three controlled substance pills
Various drug paraphernalia
Diaz was booked into Hamilton County Jail on charges including:
Vehicle Theft (3rd-degree felony)
Trafficking Methamphetamine (1st-degree felony)
Possession of a Controlled Substance (3rd-degree felony)
Possession of Cannabis (Under 20g) (1st-degree misdemeanor)
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (1st-degree misdemeanor)
The Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement remains committed to protecting Florida’s communities through strategic policing, partnerships, and high-tech crime prevention tools.
For more details, visit FDACS.gov.
