Six Puerto Rico defendants charged with RICO violations in transnational drug ring

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A federal indictment unsealed May 12 in the District of Puerto Rico charges six defendants with 23 counts of racketeering committed in furtherance of a transnational criminal organization based in Añasco, the Justice Department announced.

The defendants face charges of murder, large-scale drug trafficking, money laundering and firearms violations. The organization coordinated with sources of supply in Venezuela, Colombia and the Dominican Republic to import cocaine and other narcotics into Puerto Rico for further distribution, per the indictment returned as part of a Homeland Security Task Force Initiative.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico W. Stephen Muldrow announced the unsealing. The case targets the leadership and operational associates of the group, which the government alleges functioned as a racketeering enterprise under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).

Conviction on the RICO counts carries potential sentences of up to life in prison for the murder predicates and mandatory minimums for the drug and firearms violations. The charges also open the door to forfeiture of any property derived from or used to facilitate the trafficking activity.

The indictment marks the latest federal effort to dismantle organizations that use Puerto Rico as a transshipment hub. Prior operations by the same task force have yielded seizures of multi-kilogram cocaine loads and linked local cells to South American producers.

Under standard federal procedure the six defendants must now appear for arraignment in San Juan federal court, where prosecutors will present evidence obtained through the task force investigation. The case will proceed to trial unless plea agreements are reached. Sentencing, if convictions occur, will follow U.S. Sentencing Guidelines that weigh drug quantity, violence and leadership roles.

This is the most recent unsealed RICO indictment against Puerto Rico-based groups with documented international supply connections. Federal prosecutors have used the statute repeatedly since the early 2000s to target organizations that combine local street activity with overseas importation routes.