Freddie Talavera-Acevedo, Cocaine Trafficking, Puerto Rico 2022
A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging seven individuals with conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
The indictment alleges that from 2018 until May of 2022 the defendants conspired to mail kilogram quantities of cocaine from Puerto Rico to the continental United States for further distribution, all for significant financial gain and profit.
The defendants charged are Freddie Talavera-Acevedo, a.k.a. “Boss/Kenton/F/Fred/Freddie Blue/Pucho Vázquez,” Katherine Pérez-Martínez, Edwin Gómez-Vale, a.k.a. “Papilla Jr.,” Edwin Alberto Gómez-Medina, a.k.a. “Papilla/Paquio,” Tamara Enid Acevedo-Torres, a.k.a. “Mara,” Tasha Marie Cordero-Dilan, a.k.a. “Negra,” and Jayson Zabdiel Cardona-Morales, a.k.a. “Barbero/Barber/Barbel/Negro.”
In furtherance of their conspiracy, the defendants acquired kilograms of cocaine from co-conspirators in Puerto Rico and concealed them in U.S. Postal Service (“USPS”) parcels that they forwarded to the continental United States. For example, they purchased commercial products, including air mattresses, towels, and children’s toys, and concealed kilograms of cocaine in those newly bought items before mailing the items in larger boxes by way of the USPS.
Upon conviction of the conspiracy, all the defendants are facing a forfeiture allegation of the following: $30,000.00 in U.S. currency seized from a postal parcel on or about October 8, 2020; $16,500.00 in U.S. currency seized from a postal parcel on or about October 8, 2020; $52,800.00 in U.S. currency seized from a postal parcel on or about January 26, 2021; $40,000.00 in U.S. currency seized from a postal parcel on or about September 29, 2021; an additional $40,000.00 in U.S. currency seized from a postal parcel seized on or about September 29, 2021; and $23,400,000.00 in U.S. currency – The sum of money equal to the total amount of money involved in each offense.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB) Aguadilla Strike Force led the investigation with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the PRPB Strike Force units from Mayagüez and Arecibo.
“Drug trafficking destroys families and communities,” said USA Muldrow. “This organization fed a pipeline of drugs ultimately sold on American streets, fostering violence and drug addiction across the nation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and its partners will continue to pursue drug traffickers who operate in all areas of Puerto Rico and to seek justice for our communities.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort.
Key Facts
- State: Puerto Rico
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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