SAN
JUAN, Puerto Rico – On March 23, 2021, a federal grand jury in the
District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 56 violent gang
members from the municipalities of San Juan, Carolina and Trujillo Alto,
with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession with
intent to distribute controlled substances, and firearms violations,
announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of
Puerto Rico. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
(ATF), the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB), San Juan and Carolina
Strike Forces, and the United States Marshals Service investigated the
case.
“This operation shows our resolve, along with our federal and state
law enforcement partners, to continue working to protect the communities
we serve from these deadly drugs and violence,” said W. Stephen
Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “Operation 65
successfully removed members of an extremely violent drug organization
from our streets and reflects the excellent collaboration between our
federal and Puerto Rico law enforcement partners – coordinated through
our HIDTA and OCDETF task force programs.”
“The members of “65 Inc.,” as this criminal organization was known,
flooded San Juan, Carolina and Trujillo Alto neighborhoods with gun
violence and drugs. Many lives in those communities have been
irreparably damaged as a result of their violent criminal activity,”
said Robert Cekada, Special Agent in Charge of ATF Miami Field Division.
“During the course of the investigation, ATF, the USMS, PRPB, Carolina
PD, and San Juan PD worked relentlessly to investigate 65 Inc. leaders
and other key members of the organization. Also, Guaynabo PD, Bayamón
PD, and San Juan PD assisted during the arrests.”
“The United States Marshals Service will continue working with the
United States Attorney’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and
Firearms and all other agencies in conducting these enforcement
operations to fight crime,” said Wilmer Ocasio Ibarra, US Marshal.
“Today, I commend our Deputies and Task Force Officers for the excellent
job they have done and continue to do every day in order to make our
streets and communities safer.”
The indictment alleges that from 2015 to the date of the return of
the indictment, the drug trafficking organization distributed cocaine
base (commonly known as “crack”), heroin, cocaine, marihuana, Oxycodone
(Percocet), and Alprazolam (Xanax) within 1,000 feet of the Jardines del
ParaÃso, Jardines de Monte Hatillo, Las Dalias, Monte Park, Jardines de
Campo Rico, San MartÃn, Jardines de Country Club, Ernesto Ramos
Antonini, La Esmeralda, and Nuestra Señora de Covadonga Public Housing
Projects, Los Claveles Condominium, and Buen Consejo Ward. The object of
the conspiracy was the large-scale distribution of controlled
substances and to possess and distribute kilogram quantities of
controlled substances, mainly cocaine, in Puerto Rico, for further
distribution in the continental United States.
In or around August 2015, new leadership among the street gangs
emerged and gained control of most of the housing projects and wards
within specific areas of San Juan, Carolina and Trujillo Alto. Members
of this new gang identified themselves as 65 INC. or 65.
Their goal was to take over and maintain control of all the drug
trafficking activities within specific areas in the mentioned
municipalities through the use of force, threats, intimidation and
violence. Some members of 65 INC. transported and distributed kilogram quantities of cocaine from Puerto Rico to the continental United States.
During the course of the investigation, over 100 weapons were seized
either directly from members of the drug trafficking organization or
recovered by the Puerto Rico Police Bureau and ATF in areas controlled
by the organization. Twenty-seven of the weapons recovered had been
converted into machineguns.
Members of the organization had illegal connections to obtain weapons
of different makes, models and calibers, including high powered rifles
like AK-47 and AR-15 type pistols. They also had individuals who had the
knowledge to modify firearms to convert them into fully automatic
machineguns. They were also able to obtain high capacity magazines
capable of accepting up to 30 rounds of ammunition at a time, and drum
magazines capable of accepting up to 50 rounds of ammunition at a time,
all of which were used by members of the organization. These types of
magazines were also recovered by the PRPB and ATF during the
investigation.
Members of the organization displayed their power and association
with each other in the street by brandishing and at times firing weapons
into the air, both at night and in broad daylight. Weapons would be
brandished in public spaces, such as bars, pubs, common areas of the
housing projects and wards they controlled, and outside areas of rival
housing projects and wards. Some of the members of the conspiracy would
drive around firing their weapons from moving vehicles in areas known to
be controlled by rival gangs and in broad daylight on public roads and
bridges, such as the Teodoro Moscoso bridge.
The organization’s control over drug trafficking stretched beyond
Puerto Rico. Some of the members were involved in multi-kilogram
distribution of cocaine to several states in the United States. They
used other co-conspirators who traveled to the continental United States
as mules with the cocaine. The mules would travel at times with up to
10 kilos each. The proceeds of the sale of those kilos was then
transported back to Puerto Rico to the drug trafficking organization.
As part of the conspiracy, the members acted in different roles to
further the goals of the conspiracy, including acting as leaders, drug
point owners, runners, suppliers, enforcers, drug processors, sellers,
and facilitators. The leaders and drug point owners routinely authorized
and instructed other co-conspirators to provide free samples of
narcotics to customers to promote the sales of a specific brand of drug.
The defendants had access to cars, motorcycles, and scooters which
they used to transport money, narcotics, and firearms.
The members of the gang used force, violence, and intimidation to
maintain control of the areas in which they operated. They often
abducted and assaulted rival drug traffickers as well as members of
their own drug trafficking organization to intimidate and maintain
control of the drug trafficking. Thirty-two defendants are facing one
charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking
crime. They are:
Joseph E. Pérez-González, a/k/a “Peca/Stripper”
Shelby J. Pérez-Cora, a/k/a “White Bear/Shelby”
Joseph Marte-RodrÃguez, a/k/a “Mato/Matagato”
Miguel A. Arroyo-Andújar, a/k/a “Mawi/Mawiton”
Julio RodrÃguez-Febres, a/k/a “Julito/Pai/LÃder”
Iron Lee Jorge Colón, a/k/a “Iron/Doble/Doble A”
Jean C. Torres-Meléndez, a/k/a “Yankee/30”
Jorge A. Sánchez-Arizmendi, a/k/a “Georgi/Rubia/OG Black”
Milton Caliel RodrÃguez/Medero, a/k/a “Cali”
Saul Ortiz-Ortiz
Héctor Deejay Vega-Collazo, a/k/a “DJ/Dinero”
José Navedo-Ramos, a/k/a “Joshuany/Joshy”
Juan A. MartÃnez- MartÃnez, a/k/a “Juancho/Juanchi”
Vicyael Hernández-DÃaz, a/k/a “Menor/Vicia/Vic”
Edgar R. López-Pellot, a/k/a “Johnny/Joni”
David Escribano-López, a/k/a “Lobo”
Victor Guadalupe-Gómez, a/k/a “Vitito”
Pedro R. Oquendo-Arrufat, a/k/a “Chuky”
Juan C. Rivera-EsquilÃn, a/k/a “Cano/C”
Joel Rivera-Molina, a/k/a “Barber”
Camilo Pérez-Marquez, a/k/a “El Boxeador”
Lennyn Santiago-Hernández, a/k/a “Lenny”
Tony R. López-Torres, a/k/a “Sombra”
Francisco Bonilla-GarcÃa, a/k/a “Cholin”
Ricardo A. Arias-Rivera, a/k/a “Ricky R/Casco/Ricky/Cholón/Jirafa”
John M. Dávila-MartÃnez, a/k/a “Moña”
Alfred Baliester-Colón, a/k/a “Tuto”
Heriberto Torres-DÃaz, a/k/a “Yerno”
Luis E. DÃaz-Peguero
Héctor Cuba-Ortiz, a/k/a “Cuba”
Raymond Pizarro-Quintero, a/k/a “Memo”
Francisco Maracayo-Correa, a/k/a “Los Maracayo”
The other defendants are:
Raúl Torres-Santana, a/k/a “Manota
Shaquille Lugo-Nuñez, a/k/a “Lindo”
Bryan Hernández-López, a/k/a “Sweepy/Swepy”
Luis E. Guzmán-González, a/k/a “Chito/Cheeto”
Michael Román-Amador, a/k/a “Huevo/Pipi”
José Robles-Feliciano, a/k/a “Nervio”
Johan J. Rosales-Medero, a/k/a “Johancito”
Terix Zabala-González, a/k/a “Terix/Teri”
Willys J. Torres- González, a/k/a “Hershey”
Chawil Campusano-Vázquez, a/k/a “Chawi/Chewi/Chegüi”
Evaris Naomi GarcÃa-Camacho
Samuel Torres-Santiago
Jouseph Bermúdez-Matos, a/k/a “Kobe”
Emilio RodrÃguez-Arce
Anthony Figueroa-Valladares, a/k/a “Farru/Farruko”
Rayden Oneill-DÃaz, a/k/a “R/J/Raiden”
Eduardo BenÃtez-Meléndez, a/k/a “Yambele”
Carlos R. Miró-Pagán, a/k/a “Farru”
Victor Maracayo-Correa, a/k/a “Maca/Los Maracayo/M”
Alexander Schroeder-Montañez, a/k/a “Blanquito”
Noah MartÃnez, a/k/a “Gringo”
BenjamÃn Rivera-Castro, a/k/a “Benji”
Roberto Ramos-Carrasquillo, a/k/a “Popi”
MarÃa Santiago-González
Assistant U.S. Attorney and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto
López-Rocafort, Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Tereza
Zapata-Valladares, and AUSA Pedro Casablanca are in charge of the
prosecution of the case. If convicted on the drug charges, the
defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in
prison. If convicted of both the drug and firearms charges, the
defendants face a minimum sentence of 15 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.
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