Miami.- A corruption network that facilitated the illegal obtaining of driving licenses was dismantled after a joint investigation between the Bay County Sheriff’s office, Floridaand state and federal agencies. The operation culminated in the arrest of eight people, including two DMV employees and members of the Cubamax company, specializing in migratory procedures, according to Sheriff Tommy Ford, who does not rule out new additional positions or arrests in the next few days, following the open operation.
Corruption in the issuance of licenses
The investigation began on May 20, 2025, after detecting suspicious transactions in the Bay County tax collector’s office, responsible for issuing driving licenses for the Department of Road Safety and Motorized Vehicles of Florida (DHSMV). The investigation, led by the Sheriff’s office with support of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), revealed that two state employees received payments in exchange for giving driving licenses to people who did not meet the legal requirements.
Modus operandi
Those involved – identified as Banlie Velazco, 37, and Demetrius Smith II, 30, both residents of Panama City – issued licenses without performing mandatory tests. Surveillance videos confirmed that the applicants avoided the theoretical and practical exams, and many of them were traveling from different parts of Florida to Bay County to obtain their licenses fraudulently.
In the homes of Velazco and Smith, approximately $ 120,000 in cash were seized, supposedly the result of these illicit operations. Both face multiple positions for illegal issues of licenses and official misconduct.
Cubamax intermediaries and role
The investigation also identified a network of intermediaries, including private individuals and organizations that channeled applicants towards corrupt employees of the DMV. One of the main operations centers was Cubamax, a company based in Callaway, Bay County, which manages immigration documents and acted as a reference point for those who wanted to acquire licenses without complying with legal procedures.
According to the authorities, the owner of Cubamax, Niurbis Rosales, 37, was arrested and faces 24 positions as the main suspect in the fraudulent issuance of licenses and official misconduct. They were also arrested:
- Leonardo Gutiérrez, 32, with seven Frankish emission charges and misconduct
- Hung Du, 58, faces 36 positions
- Isbrieta Parra, 44, faces seven charges
- Zoila González-Peña, 38, who was also employee of Cubamax faces 12 charges.
It was also arrested Mirna Fernández, 34, For illegal possession of a driver’s license, after verifying that he paid for obtaining an approved result in the exams without meeting the requirements, explained the Sheriff.
Authorities involved and thanks
During the press conference, the Sheriff Ford thanked the support of the various state and federal entities, including the office of Attorney General James Uthmeier, the “Tsar” of immigration Larry Keefe, the Fdle, the Florida road patrol, HSI TALLAHASSEE, the state prosecutor’s office of the 14th district and the FBI.
The case remains open and the formulation of new positions is expected as the analysis of the financial and documentary evidence progresses.
(Email Protected)
