On May 31, a federal grand jury indicted 25 individuals as a result of an investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD), and the Puerto Rico Department of Justice, United States Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez announced on Wednesday.
The defendants are charged in a 16 count indictment with violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
The defendants were members and associates of a criminal organization whose members and associates engaged in narcotics distribution and criminal acts principally out of the Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport in Carolina, Puerto Rico. The leader of the organization is Maribel Rodríguez-Fragoso, aka “La Flaca.”
The indictment alleges that in or around 2010 until May 2012, members of the enterprise and their associates carried kilograms of cocaine in backpack/bags, or hidden on their person, or driving official work vehicles into the Airport through the employees secured entrance. Once in the secured area, they would transfer the kilograms of cocaine to couriers inside of a designated restroom, who would then board flights departing to the continental United States.
It is further alleged that members of the enterprise transported large sums of drug proceeds in the form of US currency from the continental United States to Puerto Rico. Some of the drug proceeds were used to purchase items, such as vehicles, which were regularly used to further the enterprise.
DEA deputy administrator Thomas Harrigan said on Wednesday, “Americans have a right to expect the highest integrity from those they entrust with their safety, and DEA is committed to protecting that trust. Today’s arrests at one of the nation’s busiest airports reflect our relentless commitment to working with our partners to aggressively fight drug trafficking, not only at our nation’s points of entry, but at source, transit, and arrival zones throughout the world.”
A second indictment unsealed on Wednesday charges 20 individuals for aiding and abetting each other, and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute in excess of 9,000 kilograms of cocaine, aboard American Airlines commercial aircraft. At times pertinent to this indictment, convict Wilfredo Rodríguez-Rosado, aka “Mogoyo” recruited and organized a group of individuals to package, transport and deliver suitcases loaded with kilograms of cocaine to the American Airlines cargo area at the Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport. Moreover, he recruited and organized a group of American Airlines employees to ensure that those suitcases were smuggled into American Airlines aircrafts destined to Miami and Orlando, Florida and Newark, NJ.
“The defendants in this investigation not only utilized their positions and security access to smuggle large quantities of illegal narcotics, but they also compromised the safety and security at one of the Caribbean’s most vital airports,” said acting special agent in charge of the Caribbean Division, Pedro Janer. “DEA will continue to dismantle these organizations that think they can blatantly use legitimate entities to carry out their smuggling operations.”
“The United States Attorney’s Office, along with our state and federal law enforcement counterparts, will continue investigating and prosecuting drug trafficking organizations which use our island as a trans-shipment point for drugs to the US mainland. The use of commercial aircraft to smuggle narcotics in and out of Puerto Rico, also creates a serious threat to our national security,” added Rodríguez-Vélez.
