32 Individuals Charged With Drug Trafficking

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On November 21, 2017, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment against 32 defendants charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in the municipality of San Juan, announced Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The FBI and the Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD), San Juan Strike Force Unit, are in charge of the investigation.

The indictment alleges that beginning in or about the year 2011, the organization distributed crack, heroin, cocaine, marihuana, Oxycodone (commonly known as Percocet), and Alprazolam (commonly known as Xanax) all within 1,000 feet of the real property comprising the San Fernando Public Housing Project, a school and a playground in the municipality of San Juan, all for significant financial gain and profit.

The 32 defendants acted in different roles in order to further the goals of their organization, to wit: leaders, drug point owners, enforcers, runners, drug processors, sellers, and facilitators. Thirteen of the defendants are facing one charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crime. All of the defendants are facing a narcotics forfeiture allegation of ten million dollars.

According to the indictment, defendants and their co-conspirators would sometimes order or force certain residents of San Fernando PHP to abandon their homes. Residents who were suspected of cooperating with law enforcement or of communicating with rival drug trafficking organizations would be ordered to leave their apartments. The same happened to residents of the PHP who failed to pay the appropriate “rent” to the high-level leaders of the drug trafficking organization, and to obey the rules implemented by the drug trafficking organization’s leadership.

The defendants are: Yamil Hernández-García, a.k.a. “Gongi”/“Yamil Garcia”; Héctor Daniel Hernández-Osorio, a.k.a. “Cachete”/“Cachete El Flaco”; Julio Ángel Martínez-Rivera, a.k.a. “Angel”/“Ciego”; Gabriel Caballero-Fuentes, a.k.a. “Gaby”/“Negro”; Francisco Hernández-Torres, a.k.a. “Gordo Pelati”; Jamilet Hernández-García, a.k.a. “Yami”; Christopher Saez-Quiles, a.k.a. “Troky”/“Perla”; Jean Carlos Martínez-Rivera, a.k.a. “Jean”; Alexander Olivieri-Nieves, a.k.a. “Ponsi”/“Fonsi”; Adames Pérez-Sánchez, a.k.a. “Gordo”/“Bollo”; Ángel Giovani Martínez-Rivera, a.k.a. “Giova”; Melvin Caballero-Fuentes; Eddie Cintrón-Hernández, a.k.a. “Menor”; Edwin Joel González-Gómez, a.k.a. “Joel”; Wagner Javier Rojas-Batista; Luis D. Pérez-Plaza, a.k.a. “Danny Peca”; Ángel M. Hernández-Acevedo, a.k.a. “Barber”; Dan Joseph Rodríguez-Laracuente; Francisco Santana-Díaz, a.k.a. “Frank”; Sonia Sánchez-Algarín, a.k.a. “Caru”; José Agosto Llopiz, a.k.a. “Nalgas”; Harry Agosto Llopiz, a.k.a. “Willy”; Carlos Moises González-Almestica, a.k.a. “Mueca”; Emmanuel González-Maldonado, a.k.a. “Che”; Ángel Michael Ruiz-García, a.k.a.  “Mono”; Kevin Berríos-Concepción; Jesús Ramos-Tirado, a.k.a. “Memo”; Millies Mary Beltrán-Pérez, a.k.a.   “Millie La Shorty”; Fnu Lnu, a.k.a. “Landy”/“Angel Velazco”; Rosa Linda Andradez-Burgos, a.k.a. “Linda”; Carol Hernández-Pagán; and Carlos Santini-Avellanet, a/k/a “Carly”.

“This operation demonstrates how law enforcement partners at the federal, state and local level are working as one to pursue criminal gangs and their associates. All of these agencies will work tirelessly to protect our communities and to hold those who threaten our safety accountable for their actions,” said Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “We will continue to conduct investigations with our counterparts to dismantle these criminal organizations and to send a clear message that drugs, firearms, and violence will not be tolerated in our neighborhoods.”

“Removing violent offenders from the streets and dismantling violent gangs are the best, most effective contributions that law enforcement can make right now in order to help Puerto Rico recover from the recent natural disasters,” said Douglas A. Leff, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, San Juan Field Office. “In today’s successful operation, the FBI worked hand in hand with our partners from the United States Attorney’s Office, U.S. Marshals Service, Puerto Rico Police Department, San Juan Police Department, and Puerto Rico Department of Corrections.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa E. Bonhomme is in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. Indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.

# # #