Lara-Martínez Indicted for Foreign Murder, Firearms Violations

A brutal killing in the Dominican Republic has landed a Puerto Rican man in federal hot water. Aldrin Manuel Lara-Martínez, a 32-year-old San Juan native, was indicted and arrested for conspiracy to kill persons in a foreign country and firearms violations.

On August 16, 2023, Lara-Martínez allegedly arranged to rent a car in the Dominican Republic, setting the stage for a deadly encounter that would leave two people dead and one injured. The victim’s car was pulled up at a traffic light when Lara-Martínez opened fire, striking the occupants. The shooting occurred on August 20, 2023, outside a night club in Santo Domingo.

The Dominican Republic authorities issued an arrest warrant for Lara-Martínez on August 22, 2023, but he managed to evade capture. Instead, he took an irregular route back to the United States, attempting to enter the country on a yola-type vessel with undocumented migrants. On September 29, 2023, Lara-Martínez was apprehended by U.S. Coast Guard personnel after jumping off the vessel.

Lara-Martínez was charged with federal offenses related to failing to comply with the Coast Guard’s orders, but those charges were dismissed after his indictment. He is now facing conspiracy to kill persons in a foreign country and firearms violations. If convicted, Lara-Martínez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

The U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Services is leading the investigation, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Max Pérez-Bouret, Ryan McCabe, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Helena B. Daniel are handling the case.

An indictment is simply an allegation, and Lara-Martínez is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The case serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of violence and the importance of international cooperation in combating transnational crime.