A court-authorized search of the cell phones showed Garcia and another individual allegedly engaged in narcotics-related conversation, with Garcia sending a USPS receipt and the other individual sending a picture of a kilogram of cocaine. Frequent travel in connection with this work allegedly served as a cover for narcotics-related activity. An attorney for Agramonte-Minaya declined to comment. Coast GuardU.S. Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( U.S. DOJ in Puerto Rico said $75 million in cocaine was found, Puerto Rico cocaine seizures outpacing previous two years, Photographer: Ricardo Arduengo/AFP/Getty Images. . Members of Group T-41 followed the car and stopped it in Yonkers, N.Y. 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. Earlier this month, @CBPAMO and @USCG personnel partnered to seize over 5,500lbs of cocaine from a semi-submersible vessel. 158 people are indicted on drug- and gun-related charges. Top Row (left to right): Ramito Ramirez-Barreto, Iban Barreto . The drug bust took place near Mona Island,. Duarte faces the top narcotics charge of Operating as a Major Trafficker. afficher des publicits et des contenus personnaliss en fonction de vos profils de centres dintrt; mesurer lefficacit des publicits et contenus personnaliss; et. Traffickers used to use small aircraft to drop shipments into the island in the 1980s and 1990s but now rely on go-fast boats, fishing vessels, luxury yachts, cruise ships, and containerized cargo. Officers found 136 bricks of cocaine . 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. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico A crew aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Tezanos seized nearly $15 million worth of cocaine over the weekend. He said some of those arrested are accused of killing people and of drug trafficking. 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Eight of those charged . The seizure was the result of multi-agency efforts in support of U.S. Southern Command's . 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. Puerto Rico's lone zoo to be permanently closed after years of complaints Chicago Sun-Times 19:39 28-Feb-23. Sign up now to get the Washington Examiners breaking news and timely commentary delivered right to your inbox. 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. Domestic Cannabis Suppression / Eradication Program, Red Ribbon Toolkit - Resources For Your Community, DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Intelligence Research Specialist Job Announcements, Schedule A Hiring Authority: Intelligence Research Specialist, Privacy Impact Assessment and Management Information Systems, Victim Witness Assistance Program Resources. She thanked Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr., Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. With these arraignments, law enforcement is sending a message: No matter how you attempt to bring illegal drugs into our communities, we will find you and you will be held accountable.. Tirado was identified as a drug supplier for Luiz Mendez and Samuel Matos, according to the complaint. Members of NYDETF and USPIS observed Coddington enter a vehicle and move around in the back seat. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. When Fuentes was arrested, he tried to throw away a .40-caliber Glock that police later found, according to Baart. The indictment includes charges againstdefendants Arturo Gonzlez-Quiones, Freiman Yepes-Ospina, and Jos lvaro Crdoba-Rentera forconspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to operate and embark in a semi-submersible vessel without nationality, and to navigate thereon into and through waters beyond the outer limit of any countrys territorial sea, with the intent to evade detection, in violation of the Drug Trafficking Vessel Interdiction Act (DTVIA), officials reported. Cocaine availability nationwide in 2019 dropped 14% from the prior year and hit its lowest level in six years, and supply remained largely steady throughout 2020, according to a March 2021 DEA report. AMO agents assisted the U.S. Coast Guard in interdicting a semi-submersible vessel sailing toward Puerto Rico on April 8, according to information obtained from U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials. Cellphone communications between Duarte and Centeno-Rosado indicate Duarte ordered the livery car. Authorities seized three guns and 28 lbs. Lock (U.S. Coast Guard photo), Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. . Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, Americas Tall Ship, is scheduled to arrive in Portsmouth on Sept. 17, 2021. In all, Baart wrote that the ring involved at least five houses. Fuentes was also charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, DEA task force officer Kelly Baart wrote in the complaint. I applaud the proactive work conducted by the NYC Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor, the US Postal Inspection Service, and the members of the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, Group T-41.. Claudio Acevedo-Maquita, 55, of the Bronx, More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. Federal authorities confiscated the narcotics. 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. Intercepted packages contained a total of 30 kilograms of cocaine (over 66 pounds) concealed inside childrens lunchboxes and school binders. Agents and officers recovered four kilograms of cocaine split between two lunchboxes, one gray and one red. 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. This month the DEA made the biggest meth bust in American history: 2200 pounds of meth, nearly 900 pounds of cocaine, and 13 pounds of heroin. 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.". It is administered by the Mental Health and Anti-Addiction Services Administration. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. The last tourist death in Puerto Rico occurred in February 2020 when a 39-year-old man from Denver was thrown from an SUV and run over in San Juan, police have said. Police Commissioner Antonio Lpez Figueroa said police also seized more than 170 weapons and some 320 pounds (146 kilograms) of cocaine. For example, Puerto Rico's Medicaid program began covering its first drug to cure hepatitis C in March 2020. 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. The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. The duo were beaten with an exercise weight, a piece of wood and a deep fryer, authorities said. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. Pa. woman missing since 1992 found alive in Puerto . The acronym for the Puerto Rico PDMP is PR PDMP. Coast Guard offloads a $20 million in cocaine, following at-sea drug bust near Puerto Rico. The seized cocaine has an estimated wholesale value of approximately $51 million dollars. articles a month for anyone to read, even non-subscribers! The actual weight is 5,515 pounds or 2.76 tons. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - On March 10, 2021, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 30 violent 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 Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. REUTERS/Stephen Yang NEW YORK, Nov 2 (Reuters) - U.S. law enforcement officials seized more than one ton of cocaine allegedly shipped to the New York area from Puerto Rico, the largest. Jose Velez, 40, is facing . NEW! used to use small aircraft to drop shipments into the island in the 1980s and 1990s. 3 Indicted for Part in Largest Seizure of NY-Destined Cocaine in Decades: Feds "This seizure signifies a shift in the illegal drug landscape in New York with cocaine seizures rising more than 150% . During the investigation, U.S. Syracuse, N.Y. Four Syracuse men are facing federal drug charges after a four-month investigation found them to be distributing cocaine shipped from Puerto Rico and heroin, according to a complaint filed in federal court. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Angel Ayala-Vazquez, aka Angelo Millones, and his brother Luis X. Cruz-Vazquez, aka El Mono, were found guilty Tuesday of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, crack, cocaine, marijuana, Percocet, and Xanax, following a joint investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland The helicopter crew then transported the man to awaiting California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection personnel in a nearby parking lot with no reported injuries. Mendez and Matos operated in the West Side of Syracuse, Baart wrote. 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 . The lunchboxes bore images of popular cartoon characters. During surveillance, they observed a vehicle similar to Duartes white pickup truck near the location. But our NYPD investigators and partners in law enforcement weren't fooled and today's important indictment from theOffice of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor shows our unwavering commitment to keep New Yorkers from being victimized by crime," said Police Commissioner Dermot Shea. I commend the excellent investigation conducted with our partners for putting it out of business, said Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan. of alleged heroin from a Riverdale stash apartment in the Bronx on Nov. 4, 2021, authorities say. April 28, 2021 12:55am Updated Local authorities said Tariq Quadir Loat of Delaware was killed on April 24, 2021. Packages of cocaine were sent from Puerto Rico to a house at 2218 Midland Ave. in the South Side, Baart wrote. Sept. 16, 2021 Frontline Focus: Coast Guard offloads $51 million in cocaine in San Juan, Puerto Rico, following at-sea drug bust near the British Virgin Islands and more By Janki Panki, MyCG Writer Coast Guard offloads $51 million in cocaine in San Juan, Puerto Rico, following at-sea drug bust near the British Virgin Islands. . Learn more via @CBPCaribbean: https://t.co/s86Jqt3FWT pic.twitter.com/5rDg7Q583V. 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. Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the worlds largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Defendants Charged with Trafficking Cocaine from Puerto Rico to Western New York. 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. Low-cost flights to Puerto Rico have enticed many travelers to choose the island as a vacation spot during the pandemic. 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. He was arrested and charged in a criminal complaint. 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). Postal Inspectors identified several hallmarks of packages sent by the organization, and uncovered a more extensive pattern involving 100 similar packages shipped since May of 2020. There were also discussions related to price and weight. 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. 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. A federal grand jury in Puerto Rico returned a four-count indictment against the three individuals arrested during the alleged smuggling attempt. Wesley Coddington, aka "Lucky," and Bryan Centeno-Rosado were arrested during the investigation and charged in criminal complaints. Bankman-Fried can have flip phone, limited internet while on bail, US proposes, Biden assembles team of allies to boost re-election campaign, Reporting by Luc Cohen; Editing by Mark Porter, Michigan judge dismisses school staff as defendants in lawsuits over mass shooting, American Airlines, flight attendants union seek mediation in contract negotiations, German sanctions against Russian oligarchs advancing slowly, Turkey's pro-Kurdish party calls for opposition unity after split, Russian defence minister pays rare visit to troops in Ukraine, CORRECTED Italy's Meloni says on track to rebuild 'excellent' relations with UAE, EU releases funds, prepares aid flight for eastern Congo, Exclusive news, data and analytics for financial market professionals. Twenty of the accused have been processes and booked. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations made a massive cocaine bust earlier this week when agents hauled in nearly 800 pounds in an attempted smuggling operation off the. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. Puerto Rico will close its only zoo after longstanding complaints NBC News 16:34 28-Feb-23. Arraignments for three of the five defendants are scheduled for this afternoon before Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Abraham Clott. 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. At 2:25 p.m., agents and officers stopped the vehicle in the vicinity of Astor Avenue and Boston Road and recovered approximately two kilograms of cocaine concealed in childrens lunch boxes inside a hidden trap compartment in the back seat area. "This seizure signifies a shift in the illegal drug landscape in New York," Donovan said in a statement. 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Hunter Biden to speak about 'fake news' at Tulane Universi Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave, What's next for Buster Murdaugh after dad's murder conviction, life sentence, US home prices just did something they haven't done since 2012, Rebel Wilson says Meghan Markle isnt as naturally warm as Prince Harry, Kristen Doute supports Ariana Madix amid mutual ex Tom Sandovals scandal, Celeb-loved jewelry brand Dorsey drops dazzling new styles, Undertaker transforms coffin into barbecue grill, Tom Sizemore And The Dangerous Burden of Desperation, Kellyanne Conway and George Conway to divorce. NEW YORK CITY An indictment filed by the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor charges five individuals in a sophisticated conspiracy to smuggle millions of dollars in cocaine from Puerto Rico to New York and Massachusetts via the U.S. Will His AI Plans Be Any Different? The seizure led to the arrest and indictment of three people for a variety of drug trafficking and maritime law violations. Puerto Rico, and United States - specifically Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Coast Guard Cutter Donald Horsley's crew . All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. Contact Chris Libonati via the Signal app for encrypted messaging at 585-290-0718, by phone at the same number, by email or on Twitter. An official website of the United States government. On April 14, 2021, agents and officers conducted a court-authorized search of Coddingtons residence at 21-27 149th Street in Flushing, Queens. We've received your submission. Border / Cartel ChroniclesCrimeAir and Marine OperationsAMOCocaineDrug TraffickingPuerto RicoSemi-Submersible VesselU.S. The charges and allegations are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Drug-Smuggling Submarine Seized as Puerto Rico Busts Accelerate U.S. DOJ in Puerto Rico said $75 million in cocaine was found Puerto Rico cocaine seizures outpacing previous two years. Cocaine kilograms concealed in lunchbox in mail. On Sept. 6, a bystander contacted Coast Guard Station Monterey watchstanders reporting a person was stranded on Greyhound Rock, San Francisco. CARIBBEAN / 26 APR 2021 BY VICTORIA DITTMAR AND DOUWE DEN HELD EN Puerto Rico is seeing a surge in cocaine seizures, indicating that drug flows are being reactivated after months of dormancy amid pandemic lockdowns and that the island is on track to tally a record drug haul in 2021. A search of the vessel led to the discovery of 5,515 pounds of cocaine. Bob Priceserves as associate editor and senior news contributor for theBreitbart Texas-Border team. Members of NYDETF observed the package being delivered to the Colden Avenue address on January 22, 2021. 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 locked padlock Editors note: This article initially misstated the weight of the drug shipment as 1.25 tons. 17A in the Bronx yielded another $32,000 cash, various records and a Rolex watch. August 17, 2022, 2:04 PM. The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals. Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen said, This investigation speaks to the strong partnerships we have with our state, local and federal agencies, and to our commitment to keep dangerous drugs off our streets. Two men were arrested The unit detected 218 "conventional aircraft incursions" on U.S. soil in the 2021 fiscal year, seized 1.1 million pounds of narcotics and $73.1 million in illicit currency, made more than 122,000. Learn more. U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Tuesday that its air and marine agents spotted a suspicious vessel in the water off the coast of the Puerto Rican island of Vieques late Sunday. This disruption and seizure is the result of multi-agency efforts involving the Caribbean Border Interagency Group and the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force. While charges in the indictment relate to USPS packages containing approximately 15 kilograms of cocaine, the investigation resulted in the seizure of roughly twice that amount, for a total of 30 kilograms of cocaine. Sunday-morning talk show. 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. If convicted, each defendant faces sentences from 10 years to life in prison for the drug trafficking charges and up to 15 years for the DTVIA-related charges. The interdiction was the result of multi-agency efforts in support of U.S. Southern Commands enhanced counter-narcotics operations in the Western Hemisphere, the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) programs, and the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force (CCSF), officials said in a written statement. This may be the biggest meth bust in American history . Previously worked as a correspondent in Venezuela and Argentina. A . Boom and Bust in Puerto Rico is the story of how the demise of an obscure tax policy that encouraged investment and economic growth led to escalating budget deficits and the government's shocking default of its $70 billion debt. On June 21, 2021, he allegedly sent a USPS box listing his own name as both the recipient and sender. Abstract. They are scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment on November 17, 2021. Learn more. Vous pouvez modifier vos choix tout moment en cliquant sur le lien Tableau de bord sur la vie prive prsent sur nos sites et dans nos applications. . 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. Musk Made a Mess at Twitter. by Live Boston May 27, 2021 14:57 May 28, 2021. There is no evidence of oil impacting the waterway. 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. If this tactic was designed to throw off law enforcement, it did not work. Puerto Rico's only zoo is closing after years of suspected negligence, lack of resources Fox News 11:27 28-Feb-23. The men arrested today are believed to be the ringleaders of this large scale drug organization that . The men were arrested on Sept. 16, when police searched three separate houses involved in the ring, Baart wrote. The livery driver showed the cars destination as 237 Hoover Road in Yonkers, the residence of Duarte. Frequently, the return addresses were in New York, despite the packages originating in Puerto Rico. NYDETF Group T-41 is comprised of agents and officers with the DEA, the NYPD and the New York State Police. Many maritime smugglers depart Venezuela with the goal of getting products to the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The long-term investigation was conducted by DEAs New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, Group T-41, and USPIS. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. Postal Inspection Service, the NYPD, the New York State Police, and the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York. 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. Man missing since 2021 was murdered, co-worker arrested: DA . 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,. 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. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. The invasion was aimed at eliminating the main drug distribution spots. Over the years we have seen many creative ways that drug traffickers conceal illegal narcotics in an effort to elude detection from law enforcement. The house on East Laurel Street was identified in the complaint by Baart as a stash house.