13 Individuals Charged With Drug Trafficking

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On January 25, 2017, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment against 13 defendants charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in the municipality of San Sebastián, PR, announced Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The FBI and the Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD), Aguadilla Strike Force Unit, are in charge of the investigation.

The indictment alleges that beginning in or about June 2012, the organization distributed heroin, cocaine, crack, and marihuana, at the San Andrés Public Housing Project in San Sebastián, all for significant financial gain and profit.

The thirteen defendants acted in different roles in order to further the goals of their organization, to wit: leader who directed and supervised enforcers, runners, sellers, drug processors, and facilitators. Seven defendants are facing one charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

The defendants are: Juan O. Vélez-Miranda, a.k.a. “Coski”; José Moreno-Díaz, a.k.a “Sicario”; Michael Rojas-Montalvo, a.k.a. “Fora”; Gabriel A. Ramos-Alers, a.k.a. “Gallo”; Alberto Cabrero-Cabrera; Jean Pierre De La Rosa-Pratts, a.k.a. “Jampi”; Ángel Rivera-Rivera, a.k.a. “Tato El Gordo”; Abisael Rivera-Rivera, a.k.a. “Avispa”; Gustavo A. Méndez-Báez, a.k.a. “Tavo”; Pablo E. Ríos-Cruz, a.k.a. “Kike”; Juan C. Arvelo-López, a.k.a. “Choky”; Kevin Molina-Noriega, a.k.a. “Baby Love”; and Carlos Bayrón-Ramos, a.k.a. “Harry”.

“Drug trafficking organizations must be aggressively attacked and dismantled at every level,” said Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The result of this operation is nothing short of significant and it underscores law enforcement’s main goal: to keep drugs out of our neighborhoods.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa 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.