Tampa Man And Woman Sentenced For Narcotics And Firearms Offenses Following Jury Conviction

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Elias Xavier Rosario Torres (26, Tampa) and Veronica Estefania Rodriguez Pinuela (23, Tampa) after both were found guilty by a jury on March 8, 2024. Rosario Torres was sentenced to 38 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and over 500 grams of cocaine, possession of a machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. Rodriguez Pinuela was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and over 500 grams of cocaine, and possession of a machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to evidence presented at trial, Rosario Torres and Rodriguez Pinuela were stopped by Tampa Police Department officers on March 8, 2022, for a traffic infraction. During the traffic stop, officers located two backpacks containing nearly a kilogram of cocaine, 16 grams of fentanyl, a Glock 23 handgun, two loaded magazines, and additional ammunition. The Glock 23 was modified with a chip that converted the handgun into a machine gun. At the time of the offense, Rosario Torres was a convicted felon, having been convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Tampa Police Department.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jeff Chang, James C. Preston, and Samantha E. Beckman.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.