🌱 Venezuelan Convicted Of Drug Smuggling + Sea Turtle Felony Case

Hey, Tampa! I'm Carlos Hernandez, here in your inbox today to get you caught up on everything you need to know about what's going on in town, including updates on...

• A 70-year-old Venezuelan has been found guilty of trying to smuggle $21 million worth of cocaine into the U.S.A.
• The Tampa Bay Times' publisher has sued to gain access to the warrant used to raid the home of Tampa City Councilmember Lynn Hurtak.
• Pinellas County is utilizing A.I. on buses to help notify the county when PTSA buses need to be serviced.

But first, today's weather: Couple of thunderstorms. High: 83 Low: 65.

Here are the top stories in Tampa today:

1. A 70-year-old Venezuelan citizen has been found guilty of trying to smuggle $21 million worth of cocaine into the U.S.A. Sentencing will be held on July 21 and the accused man is facing up to 10 years in federal prison. The U.S. Coast Guard arrested the suspected man in the incident. (Tampa Patch)
2. A Florida man is accused of destroying a sea turtle nest at Nokomis Beach State Park in Sarasota County back in August 2022. Video footage allegedly shows the accused man digging in a turtle nest. He has been charged with a third-degree felony for the destruction and molestation of a sea turtle nest. (WFLA)
3. The Times Publishing Company, the group behind the Tampa Bay Times, has filed suit to obtain the search warrant used to search the home of Tampa City Council member Lynn Hurtak. The FBI raided the home on May 8. Hurtak claims the search was related to her husband's job as a journalist. (Florida Politics)
4. The address of a shipper for unwanted COVID-19 tests has allegedly led to Polk County's Progressive Supplies Stat, LLC. Federal investigators are looking into Medicare fraud targeting senior citizens into the tests. No access was granted to the media by the building to investigate further. (WFLA)
5. Pinellas County is utilizing artificial intelligence or AI to inform the county when maintenance needs to be done on PTSA buses. It has been in operation for about 10 years and saves the county money from constantly taking buses for repairs. (Fox 13)

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Today in Tampa:

• Cafe Con Tampa at Willa's Tampa. (8 a.m.)
• Haya Night Mercado at Hotel Haya. (6 p.m.)
• Etched Feathers: A History Of The Printed Bird at Tampa Bay History Center. (6:30 p.m.)
• "Beyond Glory" at Stageworks Theatre. (8 p.m.)
• G-Rex With Soju Gang at Tampa Karaoke VIP. (10 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• ZooTampa at Lowry Park shared: "Have you ever spotted the Mutjac in our Asia Aviary? Muntjacs, also known as the barking deer. They are thought to have begun appearing 15–35 million years ago. They are a bit shy, so make sure to keep an eye out on your next visit." (ZooTampa at Lowry Park via Facebook)
• Tampa International Airport shared: "In celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, Japanese Taiko drummers Tampa Taiko performed in the Main Terminal." (Tampa International Airport via Facebook)
• Tampa General Hospital shared: "Tampa General Hospital is revolutionizing health care with our Hospital at Home program, an effort to bring hospital-level care to patients in the comfort of their homes." (Tampa General Hospital via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• Bead Making Classes 9:30 am to 12:30 pm (May 26)
• Beyond Glory at Stageworks Theatre (May 26)
• Memorial Day Service (May 29)
• Social Security Webinar on May 30th and 31st (May 30)
• Add your event

You're officially in the loop for today. See you all tomorrow for another update!

— Carlos Hernandez

About me: Hello my name is Carlos Hernandez and I am a food writer with over 10 years of experience in the industry. I write the food blog Carlos Eats (http://www.carloseats.com) and also contribute to several newspapers and magazines with food-related blogs and articles.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Tampa Patch newsletter? Contact me at SouthTampa@Patch.com