POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A Tampa man wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on multiple felony charges, including kidnapping and alien smuggling, was apprehended by Polk County Sheriff’s deputies Wednesday evening.
Victor Manuel Perez-Cardenas, 39, was taken into custody without incident after deputies located his vehicle based on information provided by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) Real Time Crime Center.
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According to the PCSO, deputies in the Central District were alerted that Perez-Cardenas, who was the subject of active FBI warrants, was traveling within their jurisdiction. At approximately 4:29 p.m. on February 26th, crime analysts in the Real Time Crime Center pinpointed Perez-Cardenas’s location near the intersection of Thornhill Road and Winter Lake Road (State Road 540). He was reportedly driving a white Cadillac SUV.
Deputies quickly located the suspect’s vehicle and conducted a traffic stop on the on-ramp to eastbound Polk Parkway. Perez-Cardenas was taken into custody without resistance.
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Perez-Cardenas was transported to the Polk County Jail, where he was booked on the FBI warrants. The warrants include charges of:
- Kidnapping
- Conspiracy to Kidnap
- Conspiracy to Conceal an Alien to the United States
- Bringing an Alien to the United States
The FBI is expected to take custody of Perez-Cardenas following the booking process. The investigation remains ongoing.
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