Jesse Scheckner
The campaign treasurer for former Republican Miami-Dade mayoral candidate Alex Otaola has been arrested on felony charges of having sex with a minor.
Police booked Andy Santana, 33, early Thursday morning at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. He is accused of having a four-month-long unlawful sexual activity with a 17-year-old male, an arrest affidavit the Miami New Times first obtained and which Florida Politics subsequently received shows.
Independent journalist Elaine de Valle of Political Cortadito first flagged Santana’s arrest on X, sharing a screenshot of his case number and the charges he faces.
Otaola confirmed the man arrested is indeed his former treasurer, writing on Facebook that he and his work team “woke up to sadly shameful news” that Santana is “under investigation for a truly repudiable charge.”
“I want to make it clear, without a doubt, that I have no control over the private lives of my employees, and although I appreciate them a lot, I strongly condemn any illegal or morally questionable act,” Otaola wrote. He then took shots at members of the “press who previously did not respond to (an) interview request to speak about (his) campaign (who are) now calling asking to speak with (him).”
“Now, neither can I dismiss the marked intention of several groups on social networks and in the press that seek to discredit my reputation and my work, attempting to subvert credibility to my complaints and political activism,” he wrote. “Let me be clear: I have nothing to do with this situation and I have nothing to make a statement about it.”
According to the affidavit, the teenager reported to Hialeah police Wednesday that between May and September, he and Santana had various levels of sexual contact. It began May 12, he said, when Santana kissed him and grabbed his genitals, and escalated from there to include oral and anal sex. The boy also “produced lewd pictures, and a video corroborating his allegations,” the affidavit said.
Santana — whose full name is listed as “Andy Santana Zamora” in the affidavit — also allegedly encouraged the victim, identified as R.M. in the affidavit, to use drugs before sex and, on at least one occasion, handcuffed and raped him.
R.M. told police Santana ended contact with him last month after growing “concerned with potential information of him and the victim engaging in sexual activity disclosed on social media.”
Before Santana’s arrest, several amateur TikTok sleuths compiled video footage of Sanatana and a young man they claim is R.M. In one video, Santana and a young man with a distinctive, red neck tattoo appear to be recording themselves in bed.
“Here you can see Andy Santana, campaign manager, with a minor under 18 years of age,” the video’s caption said in Spanish. “ (Otaola), respond to this.”
@claritalamagnifica Aqui pueden ver a Andy Santana jefe de campaña con un menor de 18 años viviendo idilio Otilia responde a esto #andysantana #alexotaola
In another video, the person in question — or someone with a striking resemblance to him — can be seen saying, “Now they are going to normalize pedophilia, not pedophilia in abuse, emotional manipulation and threats.”
@el_marti_politico 🚨🚨🚨 ATENCIÓN A TODOS LOS OTAOLISTAS QUE NO LOS VEO A NINGUNO HABLANDO DE ESTO, MAS BIEN ESTAN TRATANDO DE NORMALIZAR EL ABUSO Y EL MALTRATO. AQUI LES DEJO ESTO PARA QUE VEAN DE LA PROPIA BOCA DEL MENOR QUE ALEXANDER OTA OLA ES CÓMPLICE DE ESTE DELITO Y SI SABIA E INTENTARON AMENAZARLO 🤦🏼♂️ #otaola #doblemoral #cubanosporelmundo #cubanosenmiami #cubanosentiktok #cuba🇨🇺 #viral #justicia @Una_Marti_Toa_Americana @Alex Otaola
A third clip shows the same person posing for a picture with Otaola and an unidentified woman.
Florida Politics contacted the Otaola campaign for comment before he posted his statement online. Someone from his team responded with a link to the post.
Otaola, 45, was one of five candidates who ran against Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava this year. He placed third in the contest with 12% of the vote behind Levine Cava and Miami Lakes Mayor Manny Cid, who took 58% and 23% of the vote, respectively.
Otaola’s campaign raised more than $300,000 through some 13,000 small contributions, most of which came through his Hola! Ota-Ola show, which centers primarily on Cuba and communism.
His campaign listed several objectives, from reducing traffic and boosting businesses with tax incentives to safeguarding schools and supporting police. Atop his list of priorities was making “Miami-Dade a communist-free zone.”
