SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On December 5, 2024, 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 areas nearby with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession and distribution of controlled substances, firearms violations, and murder, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. This investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau Carolina Strike Force, with the collaboration of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the United States Marshals Service.
“The prosecution of this drug trafficking organization exemplifies our ongoing efforts to dismantle drug gangs, and reduce violent crime and gun violence,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “I want to thank our federal, local, and state law enforcement partners, as well as the prosecutors and investigators in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, for their relentless work in this case. As demonstrated by this prosecution, our valiant police officers serve and protect our communities with courage, dedication, and bravery every day — at great risk to their own safety.”
“Combatting violent gangs requires a whole-of-society-approach and I am proud to say that this large-scale gang disruption is the result of the different government components, especially law enforcement, working together with and for the communities,” said Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “I am convinced that, with the help of the public and our partners, we can continue to make tangible progress towards peace in the streets of Puerto Rico.”
The indictment alleges that from in or about 2021 through the date of the indictment, the charged drug trafficking organization distributed heroin, fentanyl, cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”), cocaine, marijuana, Tramadol, and Clonazepam within 1,000 feet of the Sabana Abajo Public Housing Project (PHP), the Luis Lloréns Torres PHP, the Los Mirtos PHP, the Lagos de Blasina PHP, the La Esmeralda PHP, the El Coral PHP, the Monte Hatillo PHP, and other areas near those locations, all for significant financial gain and profit. The drug trafficking organizations that operated in and around these areas (hereinafter The Alliance) reached an agreement to conduct their drug trafficking operations as allies, which they referred to as “La Paz” (The Peace). At that time, each housing project organization was controlled by their own leadership and structure. As part of The Alliance, there would not be war between these organizations and members would be able to rely on each other for protection, drugs, and weapons.
The goal of The Alliance was to control all the drug trafficking activities within the municipalities of Carolina, San Juan, and areas nearby using force, threats, violence, and intimidation. In preserving power and protecting territory, the members of the alliance profited from the illegal distribution of narcotics, including transportation to and distribution of kilogram quantities of cocaine in the continental United States. Members of the alliance conducted meetings and frequented each other’s housing projects and the same bars and clubs together; performed in concerts and music videos together, recording videos at each other’s housing projects using real weapons to project their alliance’s power. Members would identify their gang affiliation with jewelry such as pendants allusive to their housing project, organization, or names of record labels, including, but not limited to, “LFC” (La Familia Carolina), “LMM” (Loyalty Music Money) and “LMG” (Loyalty Music Group).
The investigation revealed that during the conspiracy the defendants and their co‑conspirators participated in acts of violence and shootings to further their drug trafficking operations. They also engaged in the trafficking of illegal firearms and ammunition using their social media accounts and other social media applications and platforms. It is also alleged that the defendants obtained information from corrupt police officers to surveil rival gang members and to avoid law enforcement detection. On occasions, the corrupt police officers accessed law enforcement databases to obtain privileged information such as vehicle registration data and personal identifying data.
The defendants acted in different roles to further the goals of the drug trafficking conspiracy, including as leaders, suppliers, drug point owners, enforcers, runners, sellers, lookouts, and facilitators.
The 56 defendants charged in the indictment are:
[1] Victor J. Pérez-Fernández, a.k.a. “La Cone/Vitu/Vitikin/Enano”
[2] David A. Isaac-Febus, a.k.a. “Durant/Davicito”
[3] Jan C. Dalmau-Román, a.k.a. “Yankee/El Árabe”
[4] Charlie J. Dalmau-Román, a.k.a. “Tres Deos/Tres Dedos”
[5] Luis R. Pérez-Vizcarrondo, a.k.a. “Tío/Raúl”
[6] Samuel Santiago-Delgado, a.k.a. “Kule”
[7] Michael J. García-Marquez, a.k.a. “Maco/Menor”
[8] Luis N. Isaac-Sánchez, a.k.a. “Chimbo/CDobleta/Dobleta”
[9] Eli Y. Couvertier-Pollock, a.k.a. “Tata/Maike/Maike Casiano”
[10] Gerald O. Rodríguez-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Patrón”
[11] Onix Y. Couvertier-Pollock, a.k.a. “Gato/Gatito/Yamil”
[12] Ángel L. Agosto-Andino, a.k.a. “Bilito/Bartolo/Birlito”
[13] Vicyael C. Hernández-Díaz, a.k.a. “Menor/Ozu”
[14] Paul W. Herrera-Rivera, a.k.a. “Polito/Agua Sucia/Negro”
[15] Luis R. Pérez-Colón, a.k.a. “Mencho/Luisito”
[16] Lino J. Calcaño-Rodríguez
[17] Eddie G. Roque-Sánchez, a.k.a. “Edito/Coco”
[18] Ángel L. Sanjurjo, a.k.a. “Vaca”
[19] William E. Boria-Rosa, a.k.a. “Boria”
[20] Christian Luna-Ilarraza, a.k.a. “Chiqui”
[21] Carlos F. Mercado-Molina, a.k.a. “Blanco Perla/Payco”
[22] Orlando Resto-García, a.k.a. “Luli/Potala”
[23] Andyel González-Sáez, a.k.a. “Martino”
[24] Olvin O’Neill-Concepción-Tapia, a.k.a. “Sinfo”
[25] Daniel J. López-Vega, a.k.a. “Dany”
[26] Edwin Y. Flores-Tavárez, a.k.a. “Chizguis/Película/Cheese Wiz”
[27] Jeremy Millán-Isaac, a.k.a. “Pequeño/Zepe”
[28] Bernardo De La Cruz-Pizarro, a.k.a. “Caravela/Armandito”
[29] Yasiel Morales-López, a.k.a. “Pausa/Rubio”
[30] Joshua E. Bula-Cartagena, a.k.a. “Inquilino/El Corista”
[31] José A. González-Herrera, a.k.a. “Teta/Ted”
[32] Josué Isaac-Febus, a.k.a. “Tonto/Doble T”
[33] Ramsell Maldonado-Tatis, a.k.a. “R”
[34] Joshua Jeriel Rivera-Cruz, a.k.a. “Joshi/J”
[35] Jazhiel Ocasio-Herrera, a.k.a. “BV”
[36] Frambel Rijos-Hernández, a.k.a. “Domi”
[37] José Martínez-Serrano, a.k.a. “Tio/Denzel”
[38] Wilfredo Hernández-Vizcarrondo, a.k.a. “Machacho”
[39] Jean C. Fernández-Garay, a.k.a. “Logan/Bebo”
[40] Harold Reynoso-Isaac, a.k.a. “Jandi/Pichi”
[41] Carlos A. Delgado-Torres, a.k.a. “Peter/Papi/Papa Candela”
[42] Isaías Caleb De Jesús-Valentín, a.k.a. “Minor/Mynor/Mynol”
[43] Ángel M. Franqui-González, a.k.a. “Blanquito”
[44] Juan L. Tereforte-Bello, a.k.a. “Tostin”
[45] Justin Landrau-Cirino, a.k.a. “Cheo”
[46] Edgardo D. Rivera-Rivera, a.k.a. “Limba”
[47] Danny Díaz-Soto, a.k.a. “Shorty”
[48] Alexander Y. Encarnación-Febus, a.k.a. “Bebo”
[49] Kevin E. Soto-Peña, a.k.a. “Mostri”
[50] Jacob J. Monge-Vigo
[51] Yander C. Santos-Ramos, a.k.a. “Mingui”
[52] Michael Rodríguez-Seib, a.k.a. “Teco”
[53] Victor Z. Sifonte-Rivera
[54] Eduardo A. Tolentino-Meléndez
[55] Fernando Torres-Galarza, a.k.a. “Perro”
[56] Destiny Crespo-Correa
Thirty-seven defendants are facing one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and fourteen of those defendants are facing one count of possession of a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Count Nine charges the murder of Sergeant Eliezer Ramos Vélez that occurred on March 29, 2024 – during and in furtherance of the conspiracy. Defendants [1] Victor J. Pérez-Fernández, [8] Luis N. Isaac-Sánchez, [23] Andyel González-Sáez, [24] Olvin O’Neill-Concepción-Tapia, and [25] Daniel J. López-Vega are charged with one count of firearm-related murder and are eligible for the death penalty.
If convicted on the drug charges, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. If convicted of both the drug trafficking and the firearms charges in Count Seven, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, and up to life in prison. The defendants charged with possession of machineguns in furtherance of drug trafficking in Count Eight face a mandatory sentence of thirty years in prison to be served consecutive to any sentence imposed on the drug trafficking charges. All defendants are facing a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $31,347,400 that represent a calculation of the proceeds generated from their illegal drug trafficking activities.
Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort; Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares; and AUSAs Laura Díaz-González, R. Vance Eaton, and Joseph Russell are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
