New Bedford Trio Busted for Saco Drive-By Shooting, Cocaine Trafficking

PORTLAND, Maine: A brazen drive-by shooting in Saco on February 9 has landed three New Bedford, Massachusetts men in federal hot water. Joshua Estrada, 19, also known as ‘Mac,’ Yancarlos Abrante, 20, aka ‘Glizzy,’ and Jason Johnson-Rivera, 18, aka ‘Ouda,’ face serious time for their alleged roles in the shooting and cocaine trafficking.

A two-count indictment returned on May 15 charges the trio with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and perpetrating a drive-by shooting. According to the indictment, the three men fired at least five rounds from a 9mm handgun into another vehicle in a drug trade dispute. The indictment alleges that Estrada, Abrante, and Johnson-Rivera had been trafficking cocaine in and around Saco and Biddeford since at least January 2024.

Estrada was arrested in New Bedford, Massachusetts on May 6, 2024, when charged by criminal complaint for these same charges. Just prior to a press briefing today, Estrada appeared in federal court for his initial appearance in Maine and an arraignment on the indictment returned yesterday. Abrante and Johnson-Rivera, charged in the same indictment, are currently being held by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on unrelated charges. They will be in Maine next week for their initial appearances and arraignments.

“I commend the Saco Police Department and those from the neighboring communities who responded to this incident,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee. “This joint federal and local investigation reflects that if you come to Maine and engage in violence, particularly firearm violence, there will be a swift and coordinated response from every level of law enforcement.”

“Immediately following this brazen, drive-by shooting and the ensuing chaos that followed, the FBI’s Southern Maine Gang Task Force hit the streets collecting information, intelligence, and evidence to help our partners identify those responsible and bring them to justice,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Violent drug traffickers have a corrosive effect on our communities, and we want everyone to know that the FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to help make Maine safer for the folks who live, work, and visit here.”

“Brazen violent crime of this magnitude is not something the City of Saco is accustomed to, but when it happens, Maine law enforcement responds,” said Chief Jack Clements of the Saco Police Department. “I want to thank not only our direct neighboring agencies but also the Maine State Police, federal law enforcement, and the municipal and county law enforcement agencies from across York and Cumberland counties that responded. Finally, I would like to thank my detectives, the FBI’s Southern Maine Gang Task Force, and the United States Attorney’s Office for their hard work on this case.”

Joshua Estrada, Yancarlos Abrante, and Jason Johnson-Rivera each face up to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $1 million on the drug charge, followed by at least three years of supervised release. They each face up to 25 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000 on the drive-by shooting charge, followed by up to five years of supervised release. An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office commends the Saco Police Department, the FBI’s Southern Maine Gang Task Force, and the Maine State Police for their tireless efforts in investigating and bringing these charges. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Johnathan Nathans and Noah Falk.