Justice Department charges more than 80 people in Puerto Rico gang takedown
The indictment alleges the gang distributed 340 kilograms of fentanyl and used murders, kidnappings and assaults to protect its drug operation.
- On Thursday, Attorney General Todd Blanche announced federal indictments against 81 members of the violent Puerto Rican drug trafficking gang Los Baja Deo , with 70 suspects arrested this week.
- Federal prosecutors allege the gang trafficked at least 340 kilograms of fentanyl and 2,200 kilograms of cocaine from Mayagüez, generating an estimated $49 million in illicit proceeds over several years.
- To protect its operations, the group allegedly employed intimidation, kidnappings, and shootings, while investigators seized 21 firearms during the probe into LBD.
- Blanche's visit to the U.S. territory highlights the Trump administration's intensified focus on dismantling transnational criminal organizations fueling violence across the United States.
- Officials also announced the extradition of Dominican-based cocaine kingpin Eric Rendel Masqueo Polanco from Colombia, part of a broader strategy targeting cartels across the Western Hemisphere and Ecuador.
19 Articles
19 Articles
DOJ announces 81 alleged gang members indicted after Puerto Rico drug trafficking takedown
Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Thursday the indictments of 81 alleged members of Los Baja Deo, or LBD, a Puerto Rican-based drug trafficking organization.On Wednesday, the FBI and the Puerto Rico Police Department arrested 70 alleged LBD members on numerous charges. LBD has been active for years throughout the western side of the U.S. territory, Blanche said.The indictments charged the suspects with drug possession and distribution in c…
81 alleged gang members indicted in Puerto Rico drug, gun conspiracy
A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment Aug. 19 charging 81 alleged members of a Mayaguez-area gang with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession and distribution of controlled substances, and firearms violations, according to the Justice Department.
Winnipeg Free Press
Justice Department charges more than 80 people in Puerto Rico gang takedown
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department has charged more than 80 people in the takedown of a violent Puerto Rican gang, Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Thursday during a visit to the island as part of the Trump administration's efforts to highlight its push to tackle violent crime.
The U.S. Department of Justice filed charges against more than 80 people as part of the dismantling of a violent Puerto Rican gang, U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche announced on Thursday during a visit to the island as part of President Donald Trump's government's efforts to combat violent crime.
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