Postal Inspection Service, New York Division, New York City Police Commissioner Dermot F. Shea and New York State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen announced the arrests today in conjunction with unsealing the 25-count indictment. For example, Puerto Rico's Medicaid program began covering its first drug to cure hepatitis C in March 2020. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. dvelopper et amliorer nos produits et services. Reports on the New York federal courts. Other arrests involving the ring include: Got a tip, comment or story idea? 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. Mendez and Matos operated in the West Side of Syracuse, Baart wrote. Puerto Rico, and United States - specifically Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers. Both are residents of New York. Learn more. No arrests have been made and police have not identified the suspects. . 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. Officers found 136 bricks of cocaine . Fri 12 Mar 2021 03.00 EST Last modified on Mon 15 Mar 2021 10.42 EDT. The investigation into the ring spanned four months and started in May 2020, 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. Pa. woman missing since 1992 found alive in Puerto . The suppliers of illegal drugs are exploiting every channel they can to infiltrate our communities, including the U.S. The organization run by Mendez and Matos dealt heroin supplied by a man from the Bronx, Southwick said. 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.". 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. An official website of the United States government, Coast Guard offloads $51 million cocaine shipment in San Juan, Puerto Rico, following a drug bust near the British Virgin Islands, The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Richard Etheridge crew offloaded approximately 1,700 kilograms of seized cocaine at Coast Guard Base San Juan Friday, following the disruption go-fast vessel smuggling attempt by Coast Guard and British Virgin Islands authorities near Anegada, British Virgin Islands. 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. . Puerto Rico's only zoo is closing after years of suspected negligence, lack of resources Fox News 16:27 28-Feb-23. 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. Follow him on Twitter@BobPriceBBTXandFacebook. 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. Eight of those charged . A . A court-authorized search yielded approximately $1,000 from the trunk of the vehicle, as well as two cellphones. Tirado was identified as a drug supplier for Luiz Mendez and Samuel Matos, according to the complaint. Members of Group T-41 followed the car and stopped it in Yonkers, N.Y. 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. Puerto Rico will close its only zoo after longstanding complaints NBC News 21:34 28-Feb-23. The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. Rual Sweeney was arrested last night in the Bronx. 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. Learn more. If this tactic was designed to throw off law enforcement, it did not work. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The nearly 66,000 pounds of drugs discovered in and around Puerto Rico that year was about 40% higher than the previous years 47,500 pounds. Sweeney allegedly exited the residence with a gray shopping bag, discarded what appeared to be a white USPS box, and gave the bag to Coddington. Packages of cocaine were sent from Puerto Rico to a house at 2218 Midland Ave. in the South Side, Baart wrote. Other charges contained in the indictment include, Conspiracy in the Second Degree, Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First and Third Degrees. The charges and allegations are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. He said some of those arrested are accused of killing people and of drug trafficking. 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. Coddington also possessed a small quantity of fentanyl on his person. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. Editors note: This article initially misstated the weight of the drug shipment as 1.25 tons. The invasion was aimed at eliminating the main drug distribution spots. . 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. The men arrested today are believed to be the ringleaders of this large scale drug organization that . In the summer of 1993, the Puerto Rican government, alarmed about the record-breaking murder rate on the island, launched a massive military occupation of public housing projects. of alleged heroin from a Riverdale stash apartment in the Bronx on Nov. 4, 2021, authorities say. 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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. The majority of drugs CBP seized on the island last year was from go-fast boats, known locally as yola vessels. articles a month for anyone to read, even non-subscribers! She thanked Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr., Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. New Zealand police find 3.5 tons of cocaine in Pacific Ocean . of cocaine on Monday, which has an estimated street value of $4.6 million, according to a statement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. A search of the vessel led to the discovery of 5,515 pounds of cocaine. Wesley Coddington, aka "Lucky," and Bryan Centeno-Rosado were arrested during the investigation and charged in criminal complaints. These USPS packages contained a total of eight kilograms of cocaine concealed inside childrens lunchboxes and a zip binder. NYDETF Group T-41 is comprised of agents and officers with the DEA, the NYPD and the New York State Police. 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. 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. 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. 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. Members of NYDETF and USPIS observed Coddington enter a vehicle and move around in the back seat. CBP Air and Marine Operations agents assisted in the interdiction and seizure of nearly three tons of cocaine from a semi-submersible vessel near Puerto Rico. 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. 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. Maldonado also discusses the extent of the devastation from Hurricane Maria in 2017, the massive street protests . Coast Guard Cutter Donald Horsley's crew . Mendez and Matos were previously arrested with five other men by DEA agents and Syracuse police in August on the same drug charges as Tirado, according to a separate federal complaint also written by Baart. The seizure led to the arrest and indictment of three people for a variety of drug trafficking and maritime law violations. Earlier this month, @CBPAMO and @USCG personnel partnered to seize over 5,500lbs of cocaine from a semi-submersible vessel. 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. On June 21, 2021, he allegedly sent a USPS box listing his own name as both the recipient and sender. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. The acronym for the Puerto Rico PDMP is PR PDMP. But Loats badly burned body was found by authorities on Sunday in the town of Vega Baja. Tariq Loat and a friend, James Jackson, were attacked in La Perla on Saturday following the alleged drug deal when they tried to take photographs, despite being told not to, according to Police Commissioner Antonio Lpez Figueroa. mesurer votre utilisation de nos sites et applications. This story has been shared 121,057 times. The seizure was the result of multi-agency efforts in support of U.S. Southern Command's . The Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Training and Technical Assistance Center (PDMP TTAC) reports 2020 data and 2021 features of the Puerto Rico Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP). SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - On March 29, 2021, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a six-count indictment charging 25 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 Will His AI Plans Be Any Different? Lorsque vous utilisez nos sites et applications, nous utilisons des, authentifier les utilisateurs, appliquer des mesures de scurit, empcher les spams et les abus; et. 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. Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland, and Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson of the Drug Enforcement Administration announce the conclusion of "Operation Yo-Yo" a large scale narcotics investigation initiated by the Cape May County . Twenty of the accused have been processes and booked. There is no evidence of oil impacting the waterway. Eagle has served as a classroom at sea to future Coast Guard officers since 1946, offering an at-sea leadership and professional development experience as part of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy curriculum. 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A federal grand jury in Puerto Rico returned a four-count indictment against the three individuals arrested during the alleged smuggling attempt. Police Commissioner Antonio Lpez Figueroa said police also seized more than 170 weapons and some 320 pounds (146 kilograms) of cocaine. Top Row (left to right): Ramito Ramirez-Barreto, Iban Barreto . 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. 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. Lpez said some of the suspects sold drugs wrapped in individual packages marked with a variety of images, including deceased Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar and the Road Runner cartoon figure. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan commended the work of her offices Special Investigations Bureau, the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, the DEA, the U.S. 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. Coast Guard offloads a $20 million in cocaine, following at-sea drug bust near Puerto Rico. "This seizure signifies a shift in the illegal drug landscape in New York," Donovan said in a statement. August 17, 2022, 2:04 PM. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay received a National Response Center report of approximately 30,000 gallons of No.2 fuel oil discharged into a secondary containment area at the facility. A federal investigation found the ring to also have ties to New York City, Richard Southwick, a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorneys Office in the Northern District of New York, said in a press release. Cocaine continues to be an illegal drug anchored in New York, said DEA Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. The seized cocaine has an estimated wholesale value of approximately $51 million dollars. (CNN) -- A sweeping drug bust in Puerto Rico involving more . The lunchboxes bore images of popular cartoon characters. 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. The seizure led to the arrest and indictment of three people for a variety of drug trafficking and maritime law violations. An official website of the United States government. 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 . Often, the named recipients were either fictitious or were actual individuals not associated with the address. This drug conspiracy is representative of how a trafficking organization capitalized during Covid by using mail services to transport illegal drugs into New York. More than 30 people were arrested in Hampton Roads in a massive drug bust. Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting. Abstract. Cocaine kilograms concealed in lunchbox in mail. 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.
