A Marion Oaks man taken into custody with large amounts of cocaine and cash, remains behind bars with no bond because his arrest violates his probation.

Augusto Cesar Sanchez-Gonzalez was detained by members of the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team who recovered a little more than 4 kilograms of cocaine from his home, a vehicle at the residence, a cooler, his coat and a storage unit in Marion Oaks.

Drug officials said although the price of a kilogram of cocaine has been up and down, the going rate now is estimated at $30,000.  

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Aside from the drug stash, agents also found $17,300 in cash, a digital scale, empty plastic baggies, a vacuum sealer and empty vacuum seal packaging inside a closet at Sanchez-Gonzalez's residence.

According to drug agents, on Nov. 23, they received information to assist probation and parole with a drug investigation involving the 39-year-old man. The information given to drug officials was that Sanchez-Gonzalez was distributing cocaine from a Marion Oaks home.

Agents went to the home, found Sanchez-Gonzalez, and he agreed to be interviewed by law enforcement officials.

In the interview, Sanchez-Gonzalez said he has been unemployed and lived at the home located off Southwest 132nd Lane in Marion Oaks for a few years. He said the drugs at the home belong to him and that they could find them the master bedroom closet. Sanchez-Gonzalez said a firearm, described as a .40-caliber handgun, also was in the closet. He told agents he bought the gun from someone on the street.

Sanchez-Gonzalez told agents there was cocaine in a vehicle that was parked outside in the driveway. Sanchez-Gonzalez said the vehicle, a pickup truck, belongs to a relative and the relative did not know anything about the drugs. 

UDEST officials got a search warrant that was signed by a judge to get the illegal drugs. Sanchez-Gonzalez gave agents a key to the storage unit, officials said.

When agents served the search warrant, they found cocaine, cash and several vacuum sealed bags in a coat pocket inside the master bedroom. They also found other vacuum sealed bags, the gun, ammunition and cocaine in the closet.

The vehicle was searched and more vacuum sealed bags and cocaine were located.

At the storage unit in Marion Oaks, officials said they discovered more cocaine and a pill bottle that contained oxycodone pills and a MDMA tablet.

The agents then arrested Sanchez-Gonzalez and took him to the Marion County Jail. He's being charged with trafficking cocaine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of oxycodone with intent to distribute and possession of MDMA.

Court records show Sanchez-Gonzalez pleaded no contest to a battery charge in 2020 and was given a year probation, plus 40 hours of community service.

— Contact Austin L. Miller at 867-4118, austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb.