Juan José Castaño-Palomo, Conspiracy To Possess With Intent To Distribute Cocaine, Puerto Rico 2024

In a major blow to international cocaine trafficking, four individuals have been indicted on conspiracy charges in the District of Puerto Rico. Juan José Castaño-Palomo, a dual French and Colombian national, and Colombian nationals Carlos Alberto Bravo-Sarasty, Gustavo Rodríguez-Salazar, and Emilson Yordao Quiñonez-Hachito, face life in prison if convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance aboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States in violation of the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act (MDLEA), as well as violations of the Drug Trafficking Vessel Interdiction Act (DTVIA).

The indictment alleges that on March 21, 2024, USCG law enforcement officers boarded a semi-submersible vessel located in international waters, approximately 132 nautical miles northeast of Trinidad and Tobago. During the boarding, the officers arrested the four defendants and seized approximately 2,370 kilograms of cocaine, equivalent to almost 6,000 pounds.

The defendants made their initial court appearances on April 2, 2024, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marcos E. Lopez of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. Their case is being prosecuted as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Caribbean Corridor Strike Force, a prosecutor-coordinated, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

According to court documents, the defendants face a maximum penalty of life in prison on the drug trafficking charges and a maximum sentence of fifteen years in prison for violations of the DTVIA. U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow and Denise Foster, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Caribbean Division, made the announcement.

The seizure of 2,370 kilograms of cocaine is a significant blow to international cocaine trafficking, highlighting the efforts of law enforcement agencies in disrupting and dismantling transnational criminal organizations. The case serves as a reminder of the devastating impact of cocaine trafficking on communities and the importance of continued efforts to combat this crime.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Helena B. Daniel and Max Pérez-Bouret, Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Section, are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

As the investigation continues, authorities remain committed to disrupting and dismantling transnational criminal organizations that pose a threat to the United States. The OCDETF Caribbean Corridor Strike Force will continue to work tirelessly to identify, disrupt, and dismantle high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.

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