MIAMI – A Coral Gables police officer is facing charges of driving under the influence after he failed to pass a sobriety field test on Sunday night.

Authorities identified the officer as Esteban Soza, 36, who had just exited State Road 826 at SW 24th Street.  

Soza was pulled over by a Florida Highway Patrol trooper west on SW 24th Street, as he made a right turn onto SW 82nd Avenue. 

The arresting trooper said he instructed the Soza to get out of his vehicle after observing him driving erratically. 

“I observed the driver had trouble keeping his balance. I could smell an odor of an unknown alcoholic beverage emitting from the driver’s breath. I then identified the driver by his Florida driver’s license as Esteban de Jesus Soza.”

Soza was then unable to pass a sobriety test and was subsequently placed under arrest. 

The Coral Gables Police Department released the following statement following the arrest: 

“Coral Gables Police Department was notified of the arrest of one of our officer’s, Sunday, July 31, 2022. The Officer has been placed on restrictive duty pending the determination of the court and our Internal Affairs Investigation. Due to the ongoing investigation, we will reserve comment on the issue.”