166-1999 LTC
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(1.1 T Y 0 F M I A M I 8 E A C H
crN HALL 1700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA 33139
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L.T.C. No. 166-1999
LETTER TO COMMISSION
July 26, 1999
TO: Mayor Neisen O. Kasdin and
Members of the City mmission
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FROM: Sergio Rodriguez
City Manager
SUBJECT: DETECTIVE IBRAHIM GARCIA
This Letter to the Commission is to advise the Mayor and City Commission of the prestigious award
received by Detective Ibrahim Garcia of our Police Department.
The Florida Police Chiefs Association is the professional association for all Police Chiefs in our
State. For the last several years, the Florida Police Chiefs Association has considered creating an
Officer of the Year A ward. After much deliberation, they decided to create this award for 1998. In
doing so, the Florida Police Chiefs Association desired to have its first recipient be the benchmark
by which all future recipients are judged and the first recipient ever of this prestigious award is
Detective Ibrahim Garcia of the Miami Beach Police Department.
Detective Garcia is assigned to the Strategic Investigations Unit of the Criminal Investigations
Division of the Police Department. In this capacity, in April 1998, Detective Garcia was responsible
for leading an investigation that resulted in the discovery of the largest illegal cocaine laboratory
found in Miami - Dade County. This same investigation resulted in the seizure of one hundred twenty-
two (122) kilos of cocaine, five assault weapons and one million dollars in cash.
In November 1998, Detective Garcia became involved in a money laundering investigation.
Detective Garcia perceived that there was more to the suspect's criminal activities and he was
correct. After observing the transfer of three boxes from a trailer home to a pick up truck, he
coordinated the stop of the pick up truck which was found to contain sixty kilos of cocaine. A
subsequent search of the trailer resulted in the finding of another ninety-three kilos of cocaine and
$246,000 in cash. Detective Garcia convinced the suspect to cooperate with him ~md arranged for
the suspect to "deliver" the sixty kilos of cocaine to his connection. This turned out to be a tractor
trailer with a hidden compartment used to transport narcotics between Miami and New York City.
Once the cocaine was delivered, an around the clock surveillance was established and maintained
for six days until a suspect arrived to drive it to New York. He was promptly arrested. This
investigation resulted in the seizure of one hundred and fifty- three kilos of cocaine and $246,000
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in cash.
In December 1998, Detective Garcia was given the assignment to locate a fugitive from Zurich,
Switzerland. This fugitive was the ringleader of a gang of armed robbers who allegedly had stolen
forty million dollars from a post office in Switzerland. Armed only with the minimal information
regarding the suspect's location, Detective Garcia directed his team members to locations he
surmised the suspect was frequenting. Using clever ruse, Detective Garcia arrested the suspect by
the end of the first day, much to the amazement and gratitude of the Zurich police.
Detective Garcia's efforts resulted in the seizure of over $8 million dollars in cash, 2,600 kilos of
cocaine, six illegal firearms and the arrest of 28 persons.
Detective Garcia is richly deserving of this award and it is no wonder why he was selected as the
first recipient ever of the Florida Police Chiefs Association's Officer of the Year Award. I know I
speak for the Mayor and Commission when I say how proud we all are of Detective Garcia and how
fortunate we are to have him as a member of our Police Department.
S~~L/SR/PS
F:\PO~ECHSERV\POLICIES\COM_MEMO\det garcia officer of the year.ltc.wpd
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