FWC officers make guns-drawn arrest of 3 men accused of picking palmetto berries in Charlotte County

Three men were arrested on Monday inside Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park after a standoff with guns drawn with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers. According to the FWC arrest report, officers were called to Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park at around 11:44 a.m. due to reports of an individual harvesting saw palmetto berries and then hiding when located by park officials. Officers used a K-9 unit and searched several trails south of the original rally point location, the report said. While searching, several bags of saw palmetto berries, various lunch boxes, trash, and backpacks were located. The K-9 led the officers to a pond close to the original rally point. The K-9 alerted officers to a suspect and jumped into the water. Officers found three men hiding under a fallen tree in chest-deep water, the report said. The three men attempted to further hide themselves from the officers, but finally exited the water after the officers drew their guns, the report said. The three men were identified as Mario Mendez Gabriel, 23, Bainer Salas Domingo, 18, and Alejandro Mendez Gabriel, 20, the report said. All three men were arrested and had an immigration detainer placed on them by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The men face charges of illegally harvesting palmetto berries. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV