DOJ announces indictments of 81 alleged gang members in Puerto Rico drug trafficking case

<p>Attorney General Todd Blanche announced on Thursday the indictments of 81 alleged members of Los Baja Deo (LBD), a Puerto Rican-based drug trafficking organization.</p><p>On Wednesday, the FBI and the Puerto Rico Police Department arrested 70 alleged LBD members on various charges. LBD has been active for several years throughout the western side of Puerto Rico, according to Blanche.</p><p>The indictments include charges of drug possession and distribution related to activities that prosecutors claim began in 2021. Blanche noted that 21 of the defendants were also charged with illegal firearms possession.</p><p>The suspects are accused of distributing significant quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, and marijuana, which reportedly generated $49 million in proceeds, as stated by Blanche.</p><p>Blanche indicated that the defendants "maintained a steady supply of highly addictive and potentially lethal substances that endangered the community, fueled addiction, and exposed entire public housing projects in Mayagüez and nearby neighborhoods to violence and chaos."</p><p>The arrests of the 70 alleged LBD members followed an investigation by the San Juan Homeland Security Task Force, according to the attorney general.</p><p>Blanche described the operation as "a great example of the success" Homeland Security has had in addressing violent crime and the illegal flow of narcotics.</p><p>He added, "If there are additional co-conspirators or members of this organization that have not been charged, I promise you that this investigation doesn't stop because an indictment is returned. We'll find out. And if I were them, I would probably not be sleeping well tonight."</p><p>Additionally, during the press conference, an operation against Ecuador-based drug trafficking organizations Los Choneros and Los Lobos was announced, resulting in 26 arrests, including four leaders of the Los Lobos cartel. This follows the arrest of Eduardo Gomez, another alleged leader, at his home in Quito on May 14.</p><p>Blanche reported that one metric ton of cocaine was seized from the two cartels, along with approximately $1 million in U.S. currency.</p><p>Authorities also recovered 35 rifles, 26 vehicles, over 40 cellphones, and an airplane. Three clandestine airports and landing strips were destroyed during the operation.</p><p>Los Choneros and Los Lobos have been designated as U.S. terrorist groups since August of the previous year.</p><p>Blanche remarked, "President Trump called drug dealers terrorists, and that's because that's exactly what they are. There are drug boats that are getting blown up because of trying to bring cocaine into our country."</p><p>He also announced the extradition of Erick Randhiel Mosquea Polanco, a long-sought cocaine kingpin from the Dominican Republic, who was transported from Colombia to San Juan to face charges in two separate cases, including federal money laundering charges in New Jersey.</p>