Cops Reyes-Alicea, Meléndez-Silva Indicted in Puerto Rico Drug Ring

Two Puerto Rico police officers assigned to the Drugs Division in San Juan were busted in a federal drug trafficking case, charged with conspiring to distribute cocaine and brandishing firearms during the crime. José Reyes-Alicea and Edgardo Meléndez-Silva, a.k.a. “Wong”, were indicted by a federal grand jury on December 1, 2016, in the District of Puerto Rico, according to U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez.

The charges stem from conduct on or about December 14, 2011, when both officers allegedly conspired to possess detectable amounts of cocaine with intent to distribute. At the time, Reyes-Alicea and Meléndez-Silva were sworn law enforcement officers trusted to uphold the law — instead, they turned their badges into tools of the trade for drug operations, authorities say.

Each defendant faces two counts: one for drug trafficking conspiracy and a second for carrying firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. If convicted, they each face a minimum of five years and up to life in federal prison. The case was investigated by the FBI with support from the Puerto Rico Police Department — a collaboration that underscores the depth of the betrayal.

“We expect police officers to enforce the law and protect our citizens. These two officers broke the trust we placed in them and it is our responsibility to bring them to justice,” Rodríguez-Vélez said in a statement announcing the arrests.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa Zapata-Valladares is leading the prosecution. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. However, the indictment casts a long shadow over the credibility of internal oversight within the PRPD’s narcotics units.

Citizens with information about law enforcement corruption in Puerto Rico are urged to contact the FBI’s San Juan Division at (787) 754-6000. Anonymous tips could be the key to unraveling deeper networks of corruption festering behind the thin blue line.