PRESS RELEASE

Orlando, Florida - On March 7, 2007, Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Carl Whitehead of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Tampa division announced the arrest of Zabdiel J. Santiago Balaguer in Orlando, Florida.

On March 6, 2007, at approximately 11:30 PM, Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Tampa division, participated in a joint operation to arrest Balaguer at a residence in Kissimmee, Florida. Also participating in this operation were representatives from multiple law enforcement agencies, to include the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Air Marshals Service (FAMS), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation (MBI), Orlando Police Department, Apopka Police Department (APD), Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), and the Eatonville Police Department. Balaguer was arrested without incident.

Balaguer was arrested for violations of Title 21 United States Code, Section 846: Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Marijuana and Title 18 United States Code 924 (c) (1) (A) Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense. The investigation and subsequent arrest of Balaguer was significantly derived from both an anonymous Crimeline tip and the arrest of Thomas Anthony Munoz in San Juan, Puerto Rico on March 5, 2007.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation will continue to coordinate investigative efforts with the numerous federal, state, and local agencies involved in this matter.

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