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,. Share Your Design Ideas, New JerseysMurphy Defends $10 Billion Rainy Day Fund as States Economy Slows, This Week in Crypto: Ukraine War, Marathon Digital, FTX, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico Stephen Muldrow. In all, Baart wrote that the ring involved at least five houses. During the investigation, U.S. Puerto Rico February 21 Reggae singer, cop among those arrested in Puerto Rico drug bust A reggaeton singer and police officer are among the two dozen people arrested in a Puerto Rican. This month the DEA made the biggest meth bust in American history: 2200 pounds of meth, nearly 900 pounds of cocaine, and 13 pounds of heroin. Later that month, Duarte travelled to the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas and New Mexico. "This seizure signifies a shift in the illegal drug landscape in New York," Donovan said in a statement. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) Authorities in Puerto Rico announced Tuesday that they have arrested 800 suspects and solved 43 killings as a result of a 45-day operation targeting criminals across the U.S. territory. He had approximately $12,000 on his person. 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. Sign up now to get the Washington Examiners breaking news and timely commentary delivered right to your inbox. 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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 . 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.. SAN JUAN The Coast Guard Cutters Mohawk and Charles David Jr. transferred custody of two suspected smugglers and $8.5 million in seized cocaine to federal agents at a Coast Guard Base in Puerto Rico on Thursday, following the interdiction of a drug smuggling go-fast vessel in the Caribbean Sea.. 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. mesurer votre utilisation de nos sites et applications. Learn more. Frequently, the return addresses were in New York, despite the packages originating in Puerto Rico. A locked padlock Editors note: This article initially misstated the weight of the drug shipment as 1.25 tons. To counteract, federal law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), coordinated efforts with the Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD) and other local agencies. Cocaine availability nationwide in 2019 dropped 14% from the prior year and hit its lowest level in six years, and supply remained largely steady throughout 2020, according to a March 2021 DEA report. No arrests have been made and police have not identified the suspects. Members of NYDETF observed the package being delivered to the Colden Avenue address on January 22, 2021. The interdiction was the result of multi-agency efforts in support of U.S. Southern Commands enhanced counter-narcotics operations in the Western Hemisphere, the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) programs, and the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force (CCSF), officials said in a written statement. Two men were arrested The acronym for the Puerto Rico PDMP is PR PDMP. 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. Earlier this month, @CBPAMO and @USCG personnel partnered to seize over 5,500lbs of cocaine from a semi-submersible vessel. Lock The organization run by Mendez and Matos dealt heroin supplied by a man from the Bronx, Southwick said. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. Coddington also possessed a small quantity of fentanyl on his person. 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. Shipping records showed the rollers were sent from Puerto Rico to an address in the Bronx, they added. Members of Group T-41 followed the car and stopped it in Yonkers, N.Y. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. Low-cost flights to Puerto Rico have enticed many travelers to choose the island as a vacation spot during the pandemic. Coast Guard rescues stranded man off rocks near Greyhound Rock County Park. Puerto Rico's only zoo is closing after years of suspected negligence, lack of resources Fox News 11:27 28-Feb-23. Jackson managed to flee and was later hospitalized, authorities said. The suppliers of illegal drugs are exploiting every channel they can to infiltrate our communities, including the U.S. The livery driver showed the cars destination as 237 Hoover Road in Yonkers, the residence of Duarte. I commend the excellent investigation conducted with our partners for putting it out of business, said Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan. of alleged heroin from a Riverdale stash apartment in the Bronx on Nov. 4, 2021, authorities say. 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. Coast Guard Cutter Donald Horsley's crew . On April 14, 2021, agents and officers conducted a court-authorized search of Coddingtons residence at 21-27 149th Street in Flushing, Queens. 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. We've received your submission. (CNN) -- A sweeping drug bust in Puerto Rico involving more . 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 seized 65,890 pounds of narcotics from drug cartels and smugglers in fiscal year 2017, more than any previous year. Thanks for contacting us. If convicted, defendants would face up to life in prison, $4 million in fines. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. Defense attorneys for Aponte-Guzman and Maisonet-Lopez did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Top Row (left to right): Ramito Ramirez-Barreto, Iban Barreto . Two weeks later, on April 28, 2021, agents and officers observed Duarte receive a USPS package and drive in a white pickup truck. More than 30 people were arrested in Hampton Roads in a massive drug bust. 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% . Make no mistake, law enforcement will spare no resource to bring them to justice for their crimes in an effort to maintain the safety of the communities we serve, said Inspector in Charge Philip R. Bartlett. Coast Guard offloads $51 million in cocaine in San Juan, Puerto Rico, following at-sea drug bust near the British Virgin Islands. Anna Giaritelli, Homeland Security Reporter, Virginia Republicans give Trump an edge, but only DeSantis and Youngkin lead Biden, The ESG attack on energy becomes personal, The Debrief: Conn Carroll on HHS encouraging illegal child labor, WATCH: Steven Spielberg likens rise in antisemitism to 'Germany in the '30s', AOC gloats after construction of Virginia Amazon headquarters delayed as company cuts jobs, Alex Murdaugh trial: Watch the key video that could've sealed guilty murder verdict. There is no evidence of oil impacting the waterway. 158 people are indicted on drug- and gun-related charges. Learn more. Learn more via @CBPCaribbean: https://t.co/s86Jqt3FWT pic.twitter.com/5rDg7Q583V. . 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. 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.. Will His AI Plans Be Any Different? 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. She thanked Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr., Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. There, detectives found four guns in a safe, Baart wrote: a Taurus PT 809 9mm handgun, a Ruger revolver, a Highpoint .40-caliber and a Glock handle handgun with no top slide. 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. 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. Postal Service. A 24-year-old tourist from Delaware was killed in Puerto Rico over the weekend after allegedly buying drugs in a coastal shantytown, authorities said. 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. 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. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. The investigation into the ring spanned four months and started in May 2020, according to Baart. A federal grand jury in Puerto Rico returned a four-count indictment against the three individuals arrested during the alleged smuggling attempt. Local police and Department of Homeland Security agents responded Monday to find 739 pounds of cocaine bricks concealed inside duffel bags on board the decrepit vessel. 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NYDETF Group T-41 is comprised of agents and officers with the DEA, the NYPD and the New York State Police. Eleven people were arrested and charged following a 10-month investigation into an alleged drug ring in Salem, the state attorney general's office announced Friday. At three other houses located at 722 E. Laurel St., 300 Woodruff Ave. and 534 Stafford Ave. detectives found more than 2.5 kilograms of cocaine and more than 40 grams of heroin that was separated into more than 1,000 bags, according to Baart. The specific address was not included in the complaint. . 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. A search of the vessel led to the discovery of 5,515 pounds of cocaine. 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 house on East Laurel Street was identified in the complaint by Baart as a stash house. Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen said, This investigation speaks to the strong partnerships we have with our state, local and federal agencies, and to our commitment to keep dangerous drugs off our streets. 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. Officials placed the value of the 2.76 tons of cocaine at approximately $75 million. 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. Coast GuardU.S. 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. by Live Boston May 27, 2021 14:57 May 28, 2021. 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. articles a month for anyone to read, even non-subscribers! Learn more. 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. Sept. 16, 2021 Frontline Focus: Coast Guard offloads $51 million in cocaine in San Juan, Puerto Rico, following at-sea drug bust near the British Virgin Islands and more By Janki Panki, MyCG Writer Coast Guard offloads $51 million in cocaine in San Juan, Puerto Rico, following at-sea drug bust near the British Virgin Islands. On June 3, 2021, members of NYDETF stopped a car in which Garcia was an occupant. All rights reserved (About Us). 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. It is administered by the Mental Health and Anti-Addiction Services Administration. NEW! At least two packages bore the return address of a luxury clothing boutique in Upper Manhattan. Bob Priceserves as associate editor and senior news contributor for theBreitbart Texas-Border team. Record producer Kenny Beats takes us on a journey from Berklee College of Music to blowing up the electronic dance music scene to reemerging as a sought-after hit maker and content creator, all while building one of the most interactive, music-obsessed communities on the internet. They are scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment on November 17, 2021. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The search yielded more than 18 pink zip lock bags containing cocaine, as well as $4,000 cash, a Rolex watch, luxury sneakers, a luxury book bag and wallet, a kilo press (equipment used in packaging narcotics), three digital scales and cellphones. The duo were beaten with an exercise weight, a piece of wood and a deep fryer, authorities said. Concealing narcotic drugs in childrens lunchboxes was the modus operandi for this organization. Coast Guard, partner agencies manage oil clean up in Delaware. He was arrested and charged in a criminal complaint. 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. Boston Based International Cocaine Ring Busted by Postal Inspectors with Help from Boston and State Police. 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. The charges and allegations are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. 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. Duartes fingerprints were allegedly found on two packages and Garcias on four, and Centeno-Rosados on one of the packages associated with Garcia. This may be the biggest meth bust in American history . Postal Inspectors identified several hallmarks of packages sent by the organization, and uncovered a more extensive pattern involving 100 similar packages shipped since May of 2020. This study questions the effectiveness of these approaches to reduce street crime. Sector San Francisco launched a helicopter from Air Station San Francisco. This Supreme Court Case Could Redefine Crime, YellowstoneBackers Wanted to Cash OutThen the Streaming Bubble Burst, How Countries Leading on Early Years of Child Care Get It Right, Female Execs Are Exhausted, Frustrated and Heading for the Exits, No Major Offer Expected on Childcare in UK Budget, Biden Gives Medal of Honor to Trailblazing Special Forces Member, Oils $128 Billion Handout as Doubts Grow About Fossil Fuels, Climate Change Is Launching a MutantSeed Space Race, This Former Factory Is Now New Taipeis Edgiest Project, What Do You Want to See in a Covid Memorial? A court-authorized search yielded approximately $1,000 from the trunk of the vehicle, as well as two cellphones. Puerto Rico will close its only zoo after longstanding complaints NBC News 21:34 28-Feb-23. 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. But Loats badly burned body was found by authorities on Sunday in the town of Vega Baja. Si vous souhaitez personnaliser vos choix, cliquez sur Grer les paramtres de confidentialit. At 2:25 p.m., agents and officers stopped the vehicle in the vicinity of Astor Avenue and Boston Road and recovered approximately two kilograms of cocaine concealed in childrens lunch boxes inside a hidden trap compartment in the back seat area. 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. This story has been shared 171,829 times. Puerto Rico's lone zoo to be permanently closed after years of complaints Chicago Sun-Times 14:39 28-Feb-23. Postal Service, this time using items geared towards children. Cape May bust breaks up cocaine network with links to Puerto Rico drug traffickers. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers. Members of NYDETF and USPIS observed Coddington enter a vehicle and move around in the back seat. dvelopper et amliorer nos produits et services. Pa. woman missing since 1992 found alive in Puerto . Puerto Rico will close its only zoo after longstanding complaints NBC News 16:34 28-Feb-23. For example, Puerto Rico's Medicaid program began covering its first drug to cure hepatitis C in March 2020. 17A in the Bronx yielded another $32,000 cash, various records and a Rolex watch. The article has been updated to reflect the correct tonnage. The Coast Guard arrested three people from the vessel and confiscated the semi-submersible boat. Tirado was identified as a drug supplier for Luiz Mendez and Samuel Matos, according to the complaint. Wesley Coddington, aka "Lucky," and Bryan Centeno-Rosado were arrested during the investigation and charged in criminal complaints. This disruption and seizure is the result of multi-agency efforts involving the Caribbean Border Interagency Group and the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force. Si vous ne souhaitez pas que nos partenaires et nousmmes utilisions des cookies et vos donnes personnelles pour ces motifs supplmentaires, cliquez sur Refuser tout. . NEW YORK CITY An indictment filed by the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor charges five individuals in a sophisticated conspiracy to smuggle millions of dollars in cocaine from Puerto Rico to New York and Massachusetts via the U.S. 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 . These USPS packages contained a total of eight kilograms of cocaine concealed inside childrens lunchboxes and a zip binder. New Zealand police find 3.5 tons of cocaine in Pacific Ocean . Puerto Rico police arrest 800 suspects, solve 43 killings November 2, 2021 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) Authorities in Puerto Rico announced Tuesday that they have arrested 800 suspects and solved 43 killings as a result of a 45-day operation targeting criminals across the U.S. territory. Twenty of the accused have been processes and booked. 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. Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the worlds largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. 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. CARIBBEAN / 26 APR 2021 BY VICTORIA DITTMAR AND DOUWE DEN HELD EN Puerto Rico is seeing a surge in cocaine seizures, indicating that drug flows are being reactivated after months of dormancy amid pandemic lockdowns and that the island is on track to tally a record drug haul in 2021. 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.". This story has been shared 121,057 times. 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 Cocaine continues to be an illegal drug anchored in New York, said DEA Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan. Federal authorities confiscated the narcotics. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 HoustonsWhats Your Point? 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. Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( An official website of the United States government. 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. April 28, 2021 12:55am Updated Local authorities said Tariq Quadir Loat of Delaware was killed on April 24, 2021. The show takes listeners inside the business end of the sports world, and explains what it means to fans and their pocketbooks. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Jeffrey Quinones, public affairs officer for CBPs Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands outposts, told the Washington Examiner that the eastern Caribbean has served as a trafficking pit stop for decades, but the recent uptick indicates cartels are using the 100-mile-wide island to circumnavigate the Mexican border. 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. The seized cocaine has an estimated wholesale value of approximately $51 million dollars. Since June, 15 people with connections to the ring have been arrested and federally charged, Southwick said.