SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On September 1, 2026, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 17 individuals with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of controlled substances, announced Héctor Ramírez Carbó, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. This investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the collaboration of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
“Drugs destroy lives, fracture families, fuel violence and are a scourge in our communities, said Acting U.S. Attorney Ramírez-Carbó. “This drug trafficking organization was using the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport to smuggle cocaine from Puerto Rico to several destinations throughout the continental United States. Today, 17 organizers, recruiters and mules who made their distribution network possible will face the consequences for their criminal actions.”
“To those who believe they can use our airports and postal systems to traffic illegal substances: let these arrests be a warning. We are watching, and we are working tirelessly to identify, disrupt, and dismantle your operations,” said Yariel Ramos, Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI.
The indictment alleges that from November 2022, the defendants conspired to possess with intent to distribute and distributed 5 kilograms or more of cocaine for significant financial gain and profit. These individuals were transporting the narcotics via the airport and by mail to the continental United States using the U.S. Postal Service.
The defendants charged in the indictment are:
[1] Francisco J. Sánchez-Roque, a.k.a. “Chuleta”
[2] John O. Espinal-Zorrilla, a.k.a. “Taker”
[3] Humberto Mercedes-Ruiz, a.k.a. “Brujo”
[4] Michael J. Camacho-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Tiza/Chuky”
[5] Emanuel Miranda-Calvo, a.k.a. “Shelby”
[6] Kidanny J. Maysonet-Morales, a.k.a. “KJ/Kid/Kajoota”
[7] Luis D. Ramos-Ortiz, a.k.a. “PO/Podri”
[8] Thalia González-Van Tull
[9] Wilfredo Maldonado-De Jesús, a.k.a. “Marzan”
[10] Héctor I. López-Franceschi, a.k.a. “Ivancito/Ricitos”
[11] Johhy J. Figueroa-Mangual, a.k.a. “Jotta-Jotta”
[12] Erika M. Fernández-Miranda
[13] Christian J. Rivera-Caraballo
[14] Victor Pérez-Medina
[15] Bryan A. Serrano-Pérez
[16] Héctor R. Ortiz-Torres
[17] Jeremy Torres-Charbonier
If convicted on the drug charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI was in charge of the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Unit María L. Montañez-Concepción is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
HSTF San Juan comprises agents and officers from the following federal partners: FBI, ICE-HSI, CBP (OFO, AMO and Border Patrol), the U.S. Marshals Service for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, DEA, ATF, IRS, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of State, and the U.S. Secret Service, the Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands HIDTA, TSA, FAA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The HSTF also has the following state and local law enforcement partners as participating agencies: the Puerto Rico Police Department; the San Juan, Carolina, Guaynabo, Barceloneta, and Ponce Municipal Police Departments, the Puerto Rico National Guard – Counter Drug Program; the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Service (Hacienda); the Puerto Rico Port Authority; and the Virgin Islands Police Department.
