Puerto Rico Drug Trafficking Ring Busted: 139 Indicted

San Juan, Puerto Rico – A massive drug trafficking ring operating in the municipality of Caguas has been busted, with 139 individuals indicted on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribution of controlled substances, announced Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD) collaborated during the investigations. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) also collaborated during the arrests.

The first indictment charges 79 individuals for conspiracy to knowingly and intentionally possess with intent to distribute cocaine base (crack), heroin, cocaine, marihuana, Oxycodone (commonly known as Percocet) and Alprazolam (commonly known as Xanax), all within 1,000 feet of the real property comprising the Turabo Heights Public Housing Project, a housing facility owned by a public housing authority, and other areas nearby and within the Municipality of Caguas, Puerto Rico.

According to the indictment, beginning in 2005, as part of the manner and means of the conspiracy, the defendants would use electricity boxes known as “dangers” to stash packages or bundles of decked narcotics which were to be distributed to the sellers in a controlled manner. Sellers were not allowed to get more bundles or packages before tallying with the owner or his runner for the packages or bundles received. Tallies would be written in notebooks or sheets of paper.

It was further a part of the manner and means of the conspiracy that during the span of the conspiracy, the marihuana drug points were identified by the colors blue (“Las Azules”) and yellow (“Las Amarillas”). Leaders would supply firearms to other drug trafficking organization members for protection of the narcotics and their proceeds. Lookouts would be posted with two way radios (walkie-talkies) in specific areas of the Turabo Heights Public Housing Project in order to alert other organization members of police presence or the presence of rival gangs.

During the span of the conspiracy, in order to be able to have a drug point at Turabo Heights, “rent” would be paid to the leaders of the drug trafficking organization and their family members. It was a part of the manner and means of the conspiracy that control of the drug points at Turabo Heights was, obtained and maintained by the use of force, violence, and intimidation which operated twenty-four (24) hours a day in 3 shifts per day, including a “midnight marihuana” shift. Facilitators would act as intermediaries in drug sale transactions when clients did not want to go into the housing project.

The second indictment charges 31 individuals for conspiracy to knowingly and intentionally possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, crack, marihuana, Percocet, and Xanax, within one thousand (1,000) feet of the real property comprising housing facilities owned by a public housing authority, to wit: the Brisas del Turabo Public Housing Project in the municipality of Caguas, PR. The object of the conspiracy was to distribute controlled substances for significant financial gain and profit.

All defendants are facing a forfeiture allegation of forty-five million dollars. The investigations were the result of a long-term collaboration between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, and the indictments mark a significant blow to the drug trafficking ring operating in Caguas.

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