Fentanyl bust ends in chase in Miami-Dade. Deputies say trafficker jailed and K-9 hurt

A seven-month investigation into a fentanyl drug trafficking operation ended in a high-speed chase and crash on Thursday night involving the suspected main supplier and Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office investigators, and leaving a police dog injured.

The saga started in June 2024, when an undercover officer was sent to buy 100 oxycodone pills from a suspected dealer, identified in an arrest affidavit as Kristian Diaz.

Investigators say Diaz was used to catch his main supplier, 33-year-old Anthony Medina.

On June 11, an undercover officer met Diaz, and together they met Medina at 3214 NE Second Ave., the address of a Pizza Hut in Midtown. The deputy bought 100 fentanyl-laced blue M30 oxycodone pills from Diaz, who had obtained them from Medina, according to an arrest affidavit.

On June 20, the undercover officer arranged to buy 220 pills from Diaz. They again met with Medina, at the address, where the deputy gave Diaz $1,000 to purchase the pills, according to the arrest affidavit.

The undercover officer made several more purchases from Diaz and Medina. In total, the deputy bought at least 700 fentanyl-laced pills, according to the sheriff’s office.

A chase that injured a K-9

The undercover deals led investigators from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Miami Beach Police Department to stake out Medina in his black BMW Thursday in the area of 78th Street and Collins Avenue in North Beach.

Investigators say Medina “erratically” drove away from them and put other drivers and pedestrians at risk. Medina drove to his home near Westchester, but deputies were already waiting for him there.

Medina switched his black BMW for a white Chevrolet Tahoe and took off, according to investigators.

Miami-Dade narcotics deputies followed Medina and tried to stop him near 7200 NW First Ave. A K-9 deputy, with vehicle emergency lights flashing, tried to stop him. Deputies say Medina swerved across lanes, changing speeds to evade police. He then swerved toward the K-9 deputy’s car.

Medina turned onto Northwest First Avenue and onto a gravel-covered road under construction. The K-9 deputy tried to maneuver past him, but Medina struck the rear passenger side of the vehicle, which then crashed into a concrete wall. The detective suffered head injuries, and his K-9 partner, Roxi, sustained life-threatening injuries, according to investigators. The dog was in stable condition as of Friday.

Medina then headed into downtown Miami, speeding through red lights despite heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic. He eventually entered westbound State Road 836, where he got stuck in heavy traffic, according to investigators.

When officers tried to arrest him, he resisted — kicking, swinging his arms and grabbing a detective’s wrist, which had a gun, according to the sheriff’s office. He twisted a detective’s arm, and pointed the gun toward several officers, MDSO said.

Eventually, deputies got him under control and arrested him.

His front passenger 35-year-old Julio Flores and backseat passenger 34-year-old Krystal Flores were also arrested.

Along with his passengers, detectives found the following:

▪ 12 grams of phylocybin ,mushrooms

▪ 252 bags of marijuana totaling 1,411 grams

▪ 90 boxes of marijuana totaling 315 grams

▪ 20 boxes of suspect THC cartridges +/- 400 grams

▪ 14 packs of marijuana edibles totaling 678 grams

▪ U.S. currency totaling $8,525

▪ 1 firearm

Medina was hit with a slew of charges including multiple fentanyl trafficking charges, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, aggravated fleeing and eluding causing injury or death and resisting an officer with violence.

Julio Flores was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and resisting an officer with violence. Krystal Flores was just charged with resisting an officer without violence. The Flores’ connection to Medina is unclear.

Jail records show Medina was booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center and has a bond status of “to be set.”

This story was originally published January 31, 2025 at 8:24 AM.