SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - On November 9, 2020, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 20 violent gang members with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and firearms violations, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto . Bei der Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps verwenden wir, unsere Websites und Apps fr Sie bereitzustellen, Nutzer zu authentifizieren, Sicherheitsmanahmen anzuwenden und Spam und Missbrauch zu verhindern, und, Ihre Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps zu messen, personalisierte Werbung und Inhalte auf der Grundlage von Interessenprofilen anzuzeigen, die Effektivitt von personalisierten Anzeigen und Inhalten zu messen, sowie, unsere Produkte und Dienstleistungen zu entwickeln und zu verbessern. A search of the vessel led to the discovery of 5,515 pounds of cocaine. In all, Baart wrote that the ring involved at least five houses. Agents, officers and inspectors employed a wide range of investigative tools, including the collection of latent fingerprints from USPS packages, physical and electronic surveillance, court authorized searches and various other investigative tools. The men arrested today are believed to be the ringleaders of this large scale drug organization that . The show takes listeners inside the business end of the sports world, and explains what it means to fans and their pocketbooks. The Coast Guard, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, and Environmental Protection Agency are managing cleanup efforts from an oil discharge, on Sept. 8, at the NRG Indian River Power Plant in Dagsboro, Delaware. NEW YORK, Nov 2 (Reuters) - U.S. law enforcement officials seized more than one ton of cocaine allegedly shipped to the New York area from Puerto Rico, the largest bust of the drug in the region in over a decade, authorities said on Tuesday. Puerto Rico's lone zoo to be permanently closed after years of complaints Chicago Sun-Times 14:39 28-Feb-23. Tariq Loat and a friend, James Jackson, were attacked in La Perla on Saturday following the alleged drug deal when they tried to take photographs, despite being told not to, according to Police Commissioner Antonio Lpez Figueroa. used to use small aircraft to drop shipments into the island in the 1980s and 1990s. Learn more via @CBPCaribbean: https://t.co/s86Jqt3FWT pic.twitter.com/5rDg7Q583V. The helicopter crew then transported the man to awaiting California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection personnel in a nearby parking lot with no reported injuries. If convicted, each defendant faces sentences from 10 years to life in prison for the drug trafficking charges and up to 15 years for the DTVIA-related charges. The seizure led to the arrest and indictment of three people for a variety of drug trafficking and maritime law violations. (CNN) -- A sweeping drug bust in Puerto Rico involving more . Between May of 2020 and April of 2021, fingerprint analysis allegedly linked the defendants to six packages. Twenty of the accused have been processes and booked. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Cops snagged 25 pounds of cocaine and $350,000 in a Bronx drug bust they say disrupted a large-scale narcotics distribution network with possible ties to Puerto Rico. Bloomberg Business of Sports lets you follow the money in the world of sports, reporting on trades, salaries, endorsements, contracts and collective bargaining. Later that month, Duarte travelled to the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas and New Mexico. Despite the challenging sea state conditions and thanks to the close collaboration and coordination with our Royal Virgin Islands Police partners, our crews did an outstanding job in disrupting a major shipment of cocaine and keeping it from ever reaching the streets, said Capt. Vous pouvez modifier vos choix tout moment en cliquant sur le lien Tableau de bord sur la vie prive prsent sur nos sites et dans nos applications. BOSTON (AP) Drug charges have been filed against 21 people accused of running a cocaine and fentanyl ring that spanned Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine and Puerto Rico, Acting . Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting. Other charges contained in the indictment include, Conspiracy in the Second Degree, Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First and Third Degrees. Cocaine continues to be an illegal drug anchored in New York, said DEA Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan. If convicted, defendants would face up to life in prison, $4 million in fines. But our NYPD investigators and partners in law enforcement weren't fooled and today's important indictment from theOffice of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor shows our unwavering commitment to keep New Yorkers from being victimized by crime," said Police Commissioner Dermot Shea. Agents and officers recovered four kilograms of cocaine split between two lunchboxes, one gray and one red. The Coast Guard arrested three people from the vessel and confiscated the semi-submersible boat. At the height of the ongoing pandemic, these alleged drugtraffickers hid behind jobs in the music industry and shipped their cocaine in children's lunch boxes. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Puerto Rico will close its only zoo after longstanding complaints NBC News 21:34 28-Feb-23. I commend the excellent investigation conducted with our partners for putting it out of business, said Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan. Puerto Rico will close its only zoo after longstanding complaints NBC News 16:34 28-Feb-23. Tirado was identified as a drug supplier for Luiz Mendez and Samuel Matos, according to the complaint. 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The local ring, led by Jobany Tirado and Omar Fuentes, was found to distribute drugs to another group that operated primarily in the West Side of Syracuse, according to federal complaints filed in the Northern District of New York. August 17, 2022, 2:04 PM. A court-authorized search yielded approximately $1,000 from the trunk of the vehicle, as well as two cellphones. Coast Guard Cutter Donald Horsley's crew . Members of NYDETF observed the package being delivered to the Colden Avenue address on January 22, 2021. The 920 kilograms (2,028 pounds) of cocaine seized could have a street value of between $37 million and $370 million, depending on the retail level, according to a person familiar with the case. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Officials captured a 52-foot (15.8 meter) long, 8-foot-wide semi-submersible carrying 2,500 kilograms (5,512 pounds) of cocaine worth about $75 million, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico Stephen Muldrow said at a press conference. The organization run by Mendez and Matos dealt heroin supplied by a man from the Bronx, Southwick said. An official website of the United States government, Coast Guard offloads $51 million cocaine shipment in San Juan, Puerto Rico, following a drug bust near the British Virgin Islands, The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Richard Etheridge crew offloaded approximately 1,700 kilograms of seized cocaine at Coast Guard Base San Juan Friday, following the disruption go-fast vessel smuggling attempt by Coast Guard and British Virgin Islands authorities near Anegada, British Virgin Islands. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Early this morning, agents, officers and inspectors arrested Duarte at his home at 237 Hoover Avenue, Yonkers, N.Y. and recovered approximately 400 grams of a white powdery substance, some of which tested positive as cocaine in a field test, and multiple cellphones from the residence in a court-authorized search. On June 3, 2021, members of NYDETF stopped a car in which Garcia was an occupant. CBP's Air and Marine Operations unit was on routine patrol around 8 a.m. Thursday when the shots were fired about 12 miles (19 kilometers) off the coast from Cabo Rojo, a major drug smuggling. Both are residents of New York. The investigation into the ring spanned four months and started in May 2020, according to Baart. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. Puerto Rico has become a hotbed for drug traffickers attempting to smuggle cocaine and heroin from Colombia in South America to the East Coast of the U.S. Border officials in Puerto Rico. U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Tuesday that its air and marine agents spotted a suspicious vessel in the water off the coast of the Puerto Rican island of Vieques late Sunday. An attorney for Agramonte-Minaya declined to comment. The duo were beaten with an exercise weight, a piece of wood and a deep fryer, authorities said. Coast GuardU.S. Members of Group T-41 followed the car and stopped it in Yonkers, N.Y. Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Amazon Pauses Construction on Second Headquarters in Virginia as It Cuts Jobs, Amazon Is Closing Its Cashierless Stores in NYC, San Francisco and Seattle, iPhone Maker Plans $700 Million India Plant in Shift From China, Stock Traders Are Ignoring Blaring Bond Alarms, Russia Is Getting Around Sanctions to Secure Supply of Key Chips for War. Intercepted packages contained a total of 30 kilograms of cocaine (over 66 pounds) concealed inside childrens lunchboxes and school binders. (U.S. Coast Guard photo), Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. I applaud the proactive work conducted by the NYC Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor, the US Postal Inspection Service, and the members of the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, Group T-41.. On June 21, 2021, he allegedly sent a USPS box listing his own name as both the recipient and sender. Lorsque vous utilisez nos sites et applications, nous utilisons des, authentifier les utilisateurs, appliquer des mesures de scurit, empcher les spams et les abus; et. Syracuse police detective Scott Fura conducted numerous controlled buys of drugs from Fuentes and Negron-Collazo at a house on Turtle Street, according to Baart. U.S. DOJ in Puerto Rico said $75 million in cocaine was found, Puerto Rico cocaine seizures outpacing previous two years, Photographer: Ricardo Arduengo/AFP/Getty Images. 3 Indicted for Part in Largest Seizure of NY-Destined Cocaine in Decades: Feds "This seizure signifies a shift in the illegal drug landscape in New York with cocaine seizures rising more than 150% . Shipping records showed the rollers were sent from Puerto Rico to an address in the Bronx, they added. Drug-Smuggling Submarine Seized as Puerto Rico Busts Accelerate U.S. DOJ in Puerto Rico said $75 million in cocaine was found Puerto Rico cocaine seizures outpacing previous two years. Low-cost flights to Puerto Rico have enticed many travelers to choose the island as a vacation spot during the pandemic. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Learn more. The charges and allegations are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Syracuse, N.Y. Four Syracuse men are facing federal drug charges after a four-month investigation found them to be distributing cocaine shipped from Puerto Rico and heroin, according to a complaint filed in federal court. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay received a National Response Center report of approximately 30,000 gallons of No.2 fuel oil discharged into a secondary containment area at the facility. The indictment includes charges againstdefendants Arturo Gonzlez-Quiones, Freiman Yepes-Ospina, and Jos lvaro Crdoba-Rentera forconspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to operate and embark in a semi-submersible vessel without nationality, and to navigate thereon into and through waters beyond the outer limit of any countrys territorial sea, with the intent to evade detection, in violation of the Drug Trafficking Vessel Interdiction Act (DTVIA), officials reported. Instagram A 24-year-old tourist from Delaware was killed in Puerto Rico. Coast Guard offloads a $20 million in cocaine, following at-sea drug bust near Puerto Rico. afficher des publicits et des contenus personnaliss en fonction de vos profils de centres dintrt; mesurer lefficacit des publicits et contenus personnaliss; et. Bridget G. Brennan, New York Citys Special Narcotics Prosecutor, Ray Donovan, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division, Philip R. Bartlett, Inspector in Charge, U.S. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Claudio Acevedo-Maquita, 55, of the Bronx, More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. The drug bust took place near Mona Island,. L aw enforcement officials in Puerto Rico reported the largest drug bust in four years on Tuesday after officers seized $34 million worth of cocaine found in a boat off the northern coast. The men were arrested on Sept. 16, when police searched three separate houses involved in the ring, Baart wrote. New Zealand police find 3.5 tons of cocaine in Pacific Ocean . In carrying out the charged conspiracy, which ran from May of 2020 to July of 2021, accused ringleaders Carlos Duarte, aka "Showtime," and Alexis Garcia, aka "Ale G.," allegedly shipped numerous packages containing cocaine from Puerto Rico to New York and Massachusetts. Concealing narcotic drugs in childrens lunchboxes was the modus operandi for this organization. Federal border agents flying over Puerto Rico led law enforcement to $8.4 million worth of cocaine in a boat that had capsized and been abandoned in the water off the eastern coast of the island after a failed drug trafficking attempt. A federal grand jury in Puerto Rico returned a four-count indictment against the three individuals arrested during the alleged smuggling attempt. The unit detected 218 "conventional aircraft incursions" on U.S. soil in the 2021 fiscal year, seized 1.1 million pounds of narcotics and $73.1 million in illicit currency, made more than 122,000. The investigation revealed the two work as managers representing recording artists in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Contact Chris Libonati via the Signal app for encrypted messaging at 585-290-0718, by phone at the same number, by email or on Twitter. The last tourist death in Puerto Rico occurred in February 2020 when a 39-year-old man from Denver was thrown from an SUV and run over in San Juan, police have said. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - On March 10, 2021, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 30 violent gang members with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, and aiding and abetting in the possession/distribution of controlled substances, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United The nearly 66,000 pounds of drugs discovered in and around Puerto Rico that year was about 40% higher than the previous years 47,500 pounds. Editors note: This article initially misstated the weight of the drug shipment as 1.25 tons. Nous, Yahoo, faisons partie de la famille de marques Yahoo. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Cape May bust breaks up cocaine network with links to Puerto Rico drug traffickers. Musk Made a Mess at Twitter. REUTERS/Stephen Yang NEW YORK, Nov 2 (Reuters) - U.S. law enforcement officials seized more than one ton of cocaine allegedly shipped to the New York area from Puerto Rico, the largest. The seizure led to the arrest and indictment of three people for a variety of drug trafficking and maritime law violations. At least two packages bore the return address of a luxury clothing boutique in Upper Manhattan. Members of NYDETF observed the package being delivered to the Colden Avenue address on January 22, 2021. Eagle has served as a classroom at sea to future Coast Guard officers since 1946, offering an at-sea leadership and professional development experience as part of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy curriculum. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Angel Ayala-Vazquez, aka Angelo Millones, and his brother Luis X. Cruz-Vazquez, aka El Mono, were found guilty Tuesday of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, crack, cocaine, marijuana, Percocet, and Xanax, following a joint investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Puerto Rico's only zoo is closing after years of suspected negligence, lack of resources Fox News 11:27 28-Feb-23. . Authorities seized three guns and 28 lbs. The cause remains under investigation. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers. Postal Inspection Service, the NYPD, the New York State Police, and the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York. Mendez and Matos were previously arrested with five other men by DEA agents and Syracuse police in August on the same drug charges as Tirado, according to a separate federal complaint also written by Baart. Officials found the cocaine packaged inside large metal lawn rollers in a rental van that Aponte-Guzman drove from a New Jersey loading dock to a residence, prosecutors said. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Rual Sweeney was arrested last night in the Bronx. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Pennsylvania woman missing since 1992 found alive in Puerto Rico, LA artist nearly loses hand after impaling it on her own paintbrush, Miss Puerto Rico and Miss Argentina star in sexy Fenty ad after wedding, 3 US tourists stabbed in Puerto Rico after being warned to stop filming hamburger cart: cops. Previously worked as a correspondent in Venezuela and Argentina. This disruption and seizure were the result of multi-agency efforts involving the Caribbean Border Interagency Group and the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force. The U.S. Department of Justice in Puerto Rico said Monday that authorities had made a record-breaking cocaine bust after officials seized a submarine in Caribbean waters. Earlier this month, @CBPAMO and @USCG personnel partnered to seize over 5,500lbs of cocaine from a semi-submersible vessel. Sweeney allegedly exited the residence with a gray shopping bag, discarded what appeared to be a white USPS box, and gave the bag to Coddington. Two weeks later, on April 28, 2021, agents and officers observed Duarte receive a USPS package and drive in a white pickup truck. Follow him on Twitter@BobPriceBBTXandFacebook. Once the helicopter crew arrived on scene, they lowered the rescue swimmer to the rock and hoisted the man into the helicopter. 26 Puerto Rico is also temporarily increasing (through September 30, 2021) physician payments to a minimum of 70 percent of Medicare rates, which is more in line with the national average for state Medicaid programs. Other arrests involving the ring include: Got a tip, comment or story idea? The seized cocaine has an estimated wholesale value of approximately $51 million dollars. mesurer votre utilisation de nos sites et applications. He's built a network around his hit YouTube series, "The Cave," landed deals and produced records for some of the biggest artists in music, and still found time to release his first album, "Louie. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. Officers found 136 bricks of cocaine . Tirado, Fuentes, Angel Negron-Collazo and Rahfet Shehadeh were all arrested and charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and heroin, the complaint said. There is no evidence of oil impacting the waterway. This study questions the effectiveness of these approaches to reduce street crime. There were also discussions related to price and weight. . Puerto Rico, and United States - specifically Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Mendez and Matos operated in the West Side of Syracuse, Baart wrote. The acronym for the Puerto Rico PDMP is PR PDMP. The article has been updated to reflect the correct tonnage. With these arraignments, law enforcement is sending a message: No matter how you attempt to bring illegal drugs into our communities, we will find you and you will be held accountable.. Cellphone communications between Duarte and Centeno-Rosado indicate Duarte ordered the livery car. A court-authorized search of the cell phones showed Garcia and another individual allegedly engaged in narcotics-related conversation, with Garcia sending a USPS receipt and the other individual sending a picture of a kilogram of cocaine. Packages of cocaine were sent from Puerto Rico to a house at 2218 Midland Ave. in the South Side, Baart wrote. Defense attorneys for Aponte-Guzman and Maisonet-Lopez did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Frequent travel in connection with this work allegedly served as a cover for narcotics-related activity. Traffickers used to use small aircraft to drop shipments into the island in the 1980s and 1990s but now rely on go-fast boats, fishing vessels, luxury yachts, cruise ships, and containerized cargo. The house on East Laurel Street was identified in the complaint by Baart as a stash house. Man missing since 2021 was murdered, co-worker arrested: DA . The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations made a massive cocaine bust earlier this week when agents hauled in nearly 800 pounds in an attempted smuggling operation off the. Puerto Rico's lone zoo to be permanently closed after years of complaints Chicago Sun-Times 19:39 28-Feb-23. A major drug pipeline from Puerto Rico to Syracuse has been dismantled as a result of this homegrown investigation, said DEA Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan. dvelopper et amliorer nos produits et services. . Damian Williams, the new U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York sworn in last month, referred to the amount of cocaine seized as a "massive quantity of dangerous drugs.". Customs and Border Protection. Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the worlds largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. 9 Arrested, $450k in Cocaine Seized After Large NJ, Pa. Drug Bust 'Operation Yo-Yo' a large-scale narcotics investigation initiated by the DEA and Cape may authorities, led to the arrest of 9 . Fuentes was also charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, DEA task force officer Kelly Baart wrote in the complaint. Jackson managed to flee and was later hospitalized, authorities said. Hiding narcotics in kid branded items is pathetic. Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. The bust comes as authorities grapple with a 150% increase in cocaine seizures over the past year in the area, said Ray Donovan, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's special agent in charge for the New York division. We've received your submission. The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. by Live Boston May 27, 2021 14:57 May 28, 2021. Drug Bust. During the investigation, U.S. Arraignments for three of the five defendants are scheduled for this afternoon before Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Abraham Clott. While charges in the indictment relate to USPS packages containing approximately 15 kilograms of cocaine, the investigation resulted in the seizure of roughly twice that amount, for a total of 30 kilograms of cocaine. 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A court authorized search of his home at 1500 Noble Avenue, Apt. of cocaine on Monday, which has an estimated street value of $4.6 million, according to a statement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The suppliers of illegal drugs are exploiting every channel they can to infiltrate our communities, including the U.S. NEW! AMO agents assisted the U.S. Coast Guard in interdicting a semi-submersible vessel sailing toward Puerto Rico on April 8, according to information obtained from U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials.