Oscar Luis Mendoza Flores, Drug Trafficking, Puerto Rico 2023

A member of a violent drug trafficking gang in Puerto Rico was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in distributing controlled substances in a protected location. Oscar Luis Mendoza Flores, 32, was one of 33 defendants charged in a six-count indictment in November 2015 with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribution of cocaine, heroin, crack, marijuana, alprazolam and oxycodone.

According to court documents, the gang operated in the municipality of Cayey between 2008 and 2015, distributing controlled substances within 1,000 feet of a real property comprising Luis Muñoz Morales and Brisas de Cayey Public Housing Projects. The organization’s activities were aimed at financial gain and profit.

Mendoza Flores was convicted at trial of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances in a protected location, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin and marijuana in a protected location, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was sentenced to 300 months for the drug trafficking charges and 60 months for the possession of firearms charge, to be served consecutively, for a total term of imprisonment of 360 months.

The gang’s activities were marked by violence, including shootings in the common areas of the Luis Muñoz Morales Public Housing Project and surrounding areas. These shootings were meant to threaten and intimidate rival gangs, and endangered the lives of law-abiding citizens residing in these neighborhoods.

The investigation was led by the Puerto Rico Police Bureau Strike Forces and Federal law enforcement, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico. U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow praised the investigative team for their hard work and commended the collaborative efforts that led to Mendoza Flores’ conviction.

Mendoza Flores’ sentence is a result of the joint efforts to dismantle violent gangs and ensure safety for all citizens of Puerto Rico. His case serves as a reminder of the serious consequences of engaging in drug trafficking and violent activities.

Deputy Chief of the Gang Section Teresa S. Zapata Valladares and Assistant United States Attorney César Rivera-Giraud prosecuted the case.

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