Miami-Dade

Coral Gables Police Officer Charged With Driving Under the Influence

Coral Gables Police Officer Esteban Soza has been placed on restrictive duty

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A Coral Gables police officer was arrested and accused of driving under the influence over the weekend, officials said.

Esteban Soza, 36, was arrested Sunday night and faces a charge of driving under the influence.

Florida Highway Patrol troopers were exiting the Dolphin Expressway onto the Palmetto Expressway when they noticed a silver vehicle swerving, an arrest report stated.

Miami-Dade Corrections
Esteban Soza

When troopers made a traffic stop, Soza reached out of his window and handed them his Florida driver's license and three credit cards, the report said.

When asked why he gave the troopers his credit cards, Soza allegedly mumbled in response.

Troopers asked Soza to step out of the vehicle and noticed he was stumbling and his breath smelled of alcohol, the report said.

He proceeded to fail a field sobriety test and refused to take a breathalyzer, the report said.

The Coral Gables Police Department said in a statement Thursday that Soza was placed on restrictive duty and did not comment further due to the investigation.

Soza was out on bail as of Thursday.

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