Puerto Rican Drug Kingpin Enríquez-Núñez Pleads Guilty to Cocaine Trafficking

Manhattan federal court was the scene today as Camilo Enriquez-Nunez, alias ‘Viejo,’ a notorious drug kingpin, pleaded guilty to leading an organization responsible for trafficking over 5,000 kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico to the mainland United States.

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, hailed the DEA’s efforts in intercepting a significant portion of the trafficked cocaine. ‘Thanks to our partners at the DEA,’ Williams stated, ‘approximately 1,300 kilograms of cocaine was seized before it could hit the streets.’

The DTO under Enriquez-Nunez’s control was alleged to have transported more than 5,000 kilograms of cocaine across state lines. The organization faced significant blows in September 2021 when law enforcement officers seized a massive 920 kilograms of cocaine in New Jersey, resulting in three arrests.

Enriquez-Nunez himself was apprehended on July 18, 2022, in Puerto Rico. Concurrent with his arrest, authorities seized an additional 380 kilograms of cocaine, four assault rifles, and $750,000 in cash linked to the DTO.

The defendant, now 43 years old, faces a maximum potential sentence of life in prison for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. His sentencing is scheduled for May 30, 2023.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel P. Rothschild, Kevin Mead, and Marguerite B. Colson lead the prosecution, which is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Williams expressed praise for the DEA’s investigative work, highlighting their role in dismantling this major trafficking operation.

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