Rigoberto Diaz, 8 Others Charged in Orange County Cocaine Ring

At the core of a sprawling narcotics network in Orange County, a group of 10 alleged dealers, including Rigoberto Diaz, Jairo Esquivias a/k/a “Jalisco,” Juan Romero, Saul Garzon, Andres Rios, and Juan Sanchez Perez, stands charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine. The indictment, unsealed today in White Plains federal court, marks the culmination of a coordinated takedown led by federal and local agencies targeting drug operations in Newburgh and surrounding communities.

Eight defendants were arrested in early-morning raids across Orange County and the Bronx. One had already been taken into custody and presented in court. Two additional suspects were nabbed on separate criminal complaints. Most of the accused are scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy, facing charges that carry a maximum sentence of up to 40 years in prison if convicted.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara did not mince words: “The narcotics charges brought today strike at the heart of an entrenched group of alleged drug dealers operating out of Newburgh and the surrounding areas of Orange County.” He credited the FBI, ICE HSI, and state and local partners for dismantling a pipeline that fed cocaine into vulnerable communities.

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. emphasized the broader impact: “It’s not just the drugs that take a toll… it’s the crime accompanying the drugs that impacts everyone.” The FBI Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, he said, remains laser-focused on dismantling leadership structures within trafficking organizations.

HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Angel M. Melendez issued a blunt warning: “With many of the individuals arrested today facing up to 40 years in prison if convicted, we have sent a clear message to drug dealers in Orange County that they should immediately seek other employment.” HSI vowed to keep dismantling networks that “destroy our neighborhoods with their poison.”

Local leaders echoed the sentiment. NYSP Superintendent George Beach II called the arrests a win in the fight to keep “cocaine and other deadly substances off our streets.” Orange County Sheriff Carl E. DuBois praised interagency cooperation, while Newburgh Police Chief Daniel C. Cameron said joint operations like this are critical to improving quality of life. The message from law enforcement is clear: the grip of trafficking organizations won’t go unchallenged.