SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (CMC) — More than 60 alleged gang members have been charged and over US $72 million in drugs seized in an operation in Puerto Rico on Thursday.
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) said that a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico on April 24 returned an indictment charging 62 gang members with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession and distribution of controlled substances, and firearms violations.
“Thanks to the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), FBI, US Marshals Service (USMS), and our state and local partners, more than 60 alleged gang members have been charged and over US$72 million in drugs have been seized in this operation,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.
“The residents of public housing projects deserve better than to be terrorised by violent drug trafficking gangs, and the Justice Department will be relentless in our efforts to dismantle the gangs that fuel violent crime and profit from poisoning our communities,” he added.
US Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico said: “The arrests in this case underscore the resolve of the US Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners to uphold the rule of law and bring to justice violent criminals who threaten our communities.
“The Justice Department remains steadfast in its commitment to dismantle criminal organisations, hold gang members accountable, and pursue justice for victims,” he added.
According to the DOJ, the indictment alleges that, from 2014 through the present, the defendants worked as part of a drug trafficking organisation (DTO) that distributed illegal drugs for significant financial gain and profit — including cocaine base (commonly known as crack), heroin, cocaine, marijuana, Oxycodone (commonly known as Percocet), Alprazolam (commonly known as Xanax), Clonazepam (commonly known as Klonopin), and Tramadol.
If convicted on the drug trafficking charges, the defendants face a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison, the DOJ said.