Two brothers arrested, $400,000 seized in Pasco drug bust

NEW PORT RICHEY — A pair of brothers who allegedly trafficked opioids along the U.S. 19 corridor in Pasco County were arrested on several drug, weapons and money laundering charges last week, the Sheriff’s Office announced in a Monday news conference.

Marco Maysonet, 33, and Fernando Maysonet, 29, face dozens of charges combined, and Capt. Mike Jenkins said that more — including attempted murder charges — could follow.

Deputies arrested the brothers and served search warrants on their Port Richey homes Friday in the culmination of an investigation that Jenkins said began in January.

The captain said he could not go into details of the operation because it involves undercover deputies, but arrest reports note that the brothers were under continued surveillance and that Fernando Maysonet was observed conducting drug deals. Deputies also found “large amounts” of drugs in Fernando Maysonet’s house while serving a search warrant, according to an arrest report.

Fernando Maysonet told deputies that he made his money as a handyman, according to an arrest report. But Jenkins said deputies could find evidence of only two jobs he’d worked as a handyman in the previous three months, totaling $800. Jenkins said that didn’t square with what authorities found when they examined Fernando Maysonet’s finances: According to an arrest report, he put more than $100,000 into his bank accounts in each of the past three years, including income from properties that he’d bought with suspected drug money and rented out.

That information led to Fernando Maysonet being charged with three counts of money laundering. He also faces charges of trafficking hydromorphone, conspiracy to traffic hydromorphone, trafficking oxycodone, sale and possession of heroin, and possession of fentanyl.

Deputies found drugs — including hydromorphone, Suboxone, oxycodone and heroin — in Marco Maysonet’s house, too, according to an arrest report. They also found five guns in the felon’s possession. He faces five counts of felony possession of firearms, as well as charges of felony possession of ammunition, trafficking hydromorphone, trafficking hydrocodone, trafficking oxycodone, possession of heroin and possession of a controlled substance.

Jenkins said the operation was part of an effort to go after opioid suppliers in Pasco County and that more arrests are pending. He also said two people connected to the brothers overdosed and survived and that the brothers could face attempted murder charges relating to those overdoses.

The Sheriff’s Office seized a total of $400,000 in cash, vehicles and residential and personal property, Jenkins said.