Thread: 158 Individuals Indicted for Drug Trafficking in Puerto Rico

News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 09, 2010
Contact: SA Waldo Santiago
Public Information Officer
Number: (787) 277-4700

DEA Investigations End With 158 Individuals Indicted for Drug Trafficking in Puerto Rico

Biggest Federal Law Enforcement Operation Ever Conducted in this U.S. Territory

Forfeiture allegations for approximately $263 million


Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Guillermo Gil, U.S. Attorney's Office Strike Force Coordinator (center) discuss with high ranking PRPD Officers (left) and DEA Caribbean Division SAC Javier F. Pena (right) the operation.
JUL 09 -- SAN JUAN, PR – On July 7, 2010, a federal grand jury indicted one hundred and fifty-eight (158) individuals as a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD,). The announcement was made today by Javier F. Pena, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Caribbean Division and United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, Rosa Emilia RodrÃ*guez Vélez. The defendants are charged in three different indictments with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, crack, cocaine and marijuana, and conspiracy to possess firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

The drug trafficking organizations were operating in the Kennedy, Del Carmen, Candelaria, Colombus Landing and Roosevelt Public Housing Projects in the municipality of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. More than 500 agents from DEA and PRPD are executing these arrest warrants today in what has been the biggest federal law enforcement operation ever conducted in the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, a U.S. Territory in the Lesser Antilles.

The 158 co-conspirators operated in many roles, in order to further the goals of their conspiracies, which included leaders, drug suppliers, supervisors, drug point owners, enforcers, runners, sellers, and facilitators. Most of these co-conspirators would hold more than one role within the conspiracies.

“This DEA massive operation rid the west coast of Puerto Rico of the most hard core and violent traffickers terrorizing this part of the Islandâ€

Nice to know they are on deck to be our next state. I can't wait.