Man Arrested After 545 Pills Seized at Port Tampa Bay
Ship personnel identified Swan as highly intoxicated and in need of medical assistance; later testing identified the pills as alprazolam and oxycodone.
Brandan Swan, 50, has been arrested on drug-trafficking charges after an investigation that began when he disembarked from a cruise ship at Port Tampa Bay after a trip from Cozumel, Mexico. Authorities seized 545 pills and nearly $27,000 in cash in the case.
Swan was charged with trafficking in oxycodone in the 100-gram-to-30-kilogram category and possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance with intent to sell or deliver. The arrest followed testing that took several months to identify the seized substances.
“We will not allow drug traffickers to use our ports or our community as a gateway to distribute dangerous controlled substances,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said.
The investigation began after ship personnel identified Swan as highly intoxicated and in need of medical assistance, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents approached him after he received treatment.
During that encounter, Swan admitted taking pills, authorities said. Before agents examined his luggage, he provided a declaration listing the currency and pills. Additional pills were found in his luggage.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) seized the pills and submitted them for testing. The results identified alprazolam, commonly known as Xanax, and oxycodone. Detectives later determined that Swan did not have a valid prescription for either substance.
The sheriff’s Opioid Overdose Investigations Section and HSI’s Maritime Task Force handled the follow-up investigation. The task force’s work includes investigating cross-border narcotics trafficking and coordinating with state and local law enforcement.
“Our partnership with HSI sends a clear message: Hillsborough County is not a place to conduct illegal drug activity without consequences,” Chronister said.
An arrest warrant was issued after investigators completed their work. Swan was arrested in Orange County in Central Florida and was being returned to Hillsborough County to face the charges.
