2023 Advance Local Media LLC. This disruption and seizure is the result of multi-agency efforts involving the Caribbean Border Interagency Group and the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force. We've received your submission. 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. 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. 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. Duarte faces the top narcotics charge of Operating as a Major Trafficker. (U.S. Coast Guard photo), Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. Sign up now to get the Washington Examiners breaking news and timely commentary delivered right to your inbox. . 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. Access unmatched financial data, news and content in a highly-customised workflow experience on desktop, web and mobile. 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. He's built a network around his hit YouTube series, "The Cave," landed deals and produced records for some of the biggest artists in music, and still found time to release his first album, "Louie. 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. Hiding narcotics in kid branded items is pathetic. The drug bust took place near Mona Island,. 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. New Zealand police find 3.5 tons of cocaine in Pacific Ocean . Jose Velez, 40, is facing . Two men were arrested 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. Cocaine kilograms concealed in lunchbox in mail. Si vous souhaitez personnaliser vos choix, cliquez sur Grer les paramtres de confidentialit. 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% . Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Members of NYDETF observed the package being delivered to the Colden Avenue address on January 22, 2021. Record producer Kenny Beats takes us on a journey from Berklee College of Music to blowing up the electronic dance music scene to reemerging as a sought-after hit maker and content creator, all while building one of the most interactive, music-obsessed communities on the internet. 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. Puerto Rico police arrest 800 suspects, solve 43 killings November 2, 2021 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) Authorities in Puerto Rico announced Tuesday that they have arrested 800 suspects and solved 43 killings as a result of a 45-day operation targeting criminals across the U.S. territory. Garcia was arrested in front of a recording studio located at 281 S. Broadway in Yonkers. Despite the challenging sea state conditions and thanks to the close collaboration and coordination with our Royal Virgin Islands Police partners, our crews did an outstanding job in disrupting a major shipment of cocaine and keeping it from ever reaching the streets, said Capt. In the summer of 1993, the Puerto Rican government, alarmed about the record-breaking murder rate on the island, launched a massive military occupation of public housing projects. Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. Previously worked as a correspondent in Venezuela and Argentina. Postal Inspection Service, the NYPD, the New York State Police, and the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York. 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. The investigation into the ring spanned four months and started in May 2020, according to Baart. The invasion was aimed at eliminating the main drug distribution spots. 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. 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. 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. 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. Officials found the cocaine packaged inside large metal lawn rollers in a rental van that Aponte-Guzman drove from a New Jersey loading dock to a residence, prosecutors said. Lock Bob Priceserves as associate editor and senior news contributor for theBreitbart Texas-Border team. Puerto Rico will close its only zoo after longstanding complaints NBC News 16:34 28-Feb-23. SAN JUAN The Coast Guard Cutters Mohawk and Charles David Jr. transferred custody of two suspected smugglers and $8.5 million in seized cocaine to federal agents at a Coast Guard Base in Puerto Rico on Thursday, following the interdiction of a drug smuggling go-fast vessel in the Caribbean Sea.. Duartes fingerprints were allegedly found on two packages and Garcias on four, and Centeno-Rosados on one of the packages associated with Garcia. Amazon Pauses Construction on Second Headquarters in Virginia as It Cuts Jobs, Amazon Is Closing Its Cashierless Stores in NYC, San Francisco and Seattle, iPhone Maker Plans $700 Million India Plant in Shift From China, Stock Traders Are Ignoring Blaring Bond Alarms, Russia Is Getting Around Sanctions to Secure Supply of Key Chips for War. dvelopper et amliorer nos produits et services. Local police and Department of Homeland Security agents responded Monday to find 739 pounds of cocaine bricks concealed inside duffel bags on board the decrepit vessel. An attorney for Agramonte-Minaya declined to comment. The duo were beaten with an exercise weight, a piece of wood and a deep fryer, authorities said. Twenty of the accused have been processes and booked. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. But Loats badly burned body was found by authorities on Sunday in the town of Vega Baja. Coast Guard offloads $51 million cocaine shipment in Puerto Rico after Caribbean drug bust by: WFLA 8 On Your Side Staff Posted: Sep 3, 2021 / 01:44 PM EDT Updated: Sep 3, 2021 /. If convicted, defendants would face up to life in prison, $4 million in fines. 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. Syracuse police detective Scott Fura conducted numerous controlled buys of drugs from Fuentes and Negron-Collazo at a house on Turtle Street, according to Baart. Officers found 136 bricks of cocaine . During surveillance, they observed a vehicle similar to Duartes white pickup truck near the location. 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. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Enhanced enforcement efforts along the Central America/Mexico corridor and on the U.S. Southwest border as well as the ongoing violence between rival TCOs [transnational criminal organizations] in Mexico may be contributing to the shift to more efficient, presumably less troublesome Caribbean routes," according to the 2015 White House Caribbean Border Counternarcotics Strategy report. All rights reserved (About Us). Bei der Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps verwenden wir, unsere Websites und Apps fr Sie bereitzustellen, Nutzer zu authentifizieren, Sicherheitsmanahmen anzuwenden und Spam und Missbrauch zu verhindern, und, Ihre Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps zu messen, personalisierte Werbung und Inhalte auf der Grundlage von Interessenprofilen anzuzeigen, die Effektivitt von personalisierten Anzeigen und Inhalten zu messen, sowie, unsere Produkte und Dienstleistungen zu entwickeln und zu verbessern. Sunday-morning talk show. used to use small aircraft to drop shipments into the island in the 1980s and 1990s. 158 people are indicted on drug- and gun-related charges. Agents, officers and inspectors employed a wide range of investigative tools, including the collection of latent fingerprints from USPS packages, physical and electronic surveillance, court authorized searches and various other investigative tools. Arraignments for three of the five defendants are scheduled for this afternoon before Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Abraham Clott. NEW YORK - New York Attorney General Letitia James and Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) New York Division announced today the arrests of 12 individuals for their roles in a drug trafficking operation that transported cocaine from Puerto Rico to Buffalo . Defendants Charged with Trafficking Cocaine from Puerto Rico to Western New York. Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. A court authorized search of his home at 1500 Noble Avenue, Apt. Editors note: This article initially misstated the weight of the drug shipment as 1.25 tons. 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. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 HoustonsWhats Your Point? Officials captured a 52-foot (15.8 meter) long, 8-foot-wide semi-submersible carrying 2,500 kilograms (5,512 pounds) of cocaine worth about $75 million, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico Stephen Muldrow said at a press conference. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. Frequent travel in connection with this work allegedly served as a cover for narcotics-related activity. Anna Giaritelli, Homeland Security Reporter, Virginia Republicans give Trump an edge, but only DeSantis and Youngkin lead Biden, The ESG attack on energy becomes personal, The Debrief: Conn Carroll on HHS encouraging illegal child labor, WATCH: Steven Spielberg likens rise in antisemitism to 'Germany in the '30s', AOC gloats after construction of Virginia Amazon headquarters delayed as company cuts jobs, Alex Murdaugh trial: Watch the key video that could've sealed guilty murder verdict. NYDETF Group T-41 is comprised of agents and officers with the DEA, the NYPD and the New York State Police. 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. Officials placed the value of the 2.76 tons of cocaine at approximately $75 million. CBP Air and Marine Operations agents assisted in the interdiction and seizure of nearly three tons of cocaine from a semi-submersible vessel near Puerto Rico. 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. Puerto Rico will close its only zoo after longstanding complaints NBC News 21:34 28-Feb-23. 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). Learn more. Maldonado also discusses the extent of the devastation from Hurricane Maria in 2017, the massive street protests . More than 30 people were arrested in Hampton Roads in a massive drug bust. L aw enforcement officials in Puerto Rico reported the largest drug bust in four years on Tuesday after officers seized $34 million worth of cocaine found in a boat off the northern coast. The majority of drugs CBP seized on the island last year was from go-fast boats, known locally as yola vessels. Wesley Coddington, aka "Lucky," and Bryan Centeno-Rosado were arrested during the investigation and charged in criminal complaints. 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. I commend the excellent investigation conducted with our partners for putting it out of business, said Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan. Si vous ne souhaitez pas que nos partenaires et nousmmes utilisions des cookies et vos donnes personnelles pour ces motifs supplmentaires, cliquez sur Refuser tout. The house on East Laurel Street was identified in the complaint by Baart as a stash house. 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. of cocaine on Monday, which has an estimated street value of $4.6 million, according to a statement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Other charges contained in the indictment include, Conspiracy in the Second Degree, Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First and Third Degrees. A locked padlock 26 Puerto Rico is also temporarily increasing (through September 30, 2021) physician payments to a minimum of 70 percent of Medicare rates, which is more in line with the national average for state Medicaid programs. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) Authorities in Puerto Rico announced Tuesday that they have arrested 800 suspects and solved 43 killings as a result of a 45-day operation targeting criminals across the U.S. territory. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. A court-authorized search yielded approximately $1,000 from the trunk of the vehicle, as well as two cellphones. In all, Baart wrote that the ring involved at least five houses. Members of NYDETF observed the package being delivered to the Colden Avenue address on January 22, 2021. There is no evidence of oil impacting the waterway. On June 3, 2021, members of NYDETF stopped a car in which Garcia was an occupant. At least two packages bore the return address of a luxury clothing boutique in Upper Manhattan. Postal Service. 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. There, detectives found four guns in a safe, Baart wrote: a Taurus PT 809 9mm handgun, a Ruger revolver, a Highpoint .40-caliber and a Glock handle handgun with no top slide. 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. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico A crew aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Tezanos seized nearly $15 million worth of cocaine over the weekend. 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. A federal grand jury in Puerto Rico returned a four-count indictment against the three individuals arrested during the alleged smuggling attempt. 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. 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. The Coast Guard Cutter Richard Etheridge crew offloaded approximately 1,700 kilograms of seized cocaine at Coast Guard Base San Juan, following the disruption go-fast vessel smuggling attempt by Coast Guard and British Virgin Islands authorities. Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, Americas Tall Ship, is scheduled to arrive in Portsmouth on Sept. 17, 2021. This study questions the effectiveness of these approaches to reduce street crime. Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. NEW! The suppliers of illegal drugs are exploiting every channel they can to infiltrate our communities, including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, New York Division, New York City Police Commissioner Dermot F. Shea and New York State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen announced the arrests today in conjunction with unsealing the 25-count indictment. During the investigation, U.S. Jeffrey Quinones, public affairs officer for CBPs Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands outposts, told the Washington Examiner that the eastern Caribbean has served as a trafficking pit stop for decades, but the recent uptick indicates cartels are using the 100-mile-wide island to circumnavigate the Mexican border. by Live Boston May 27, 2021 14:57 May 28, 2021. By United States Coast Guard. Puerto Rico's only zoo is closing after years of suspected negligence, lack of resources Fox News 11:27 28-Feb-23. 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. At 295 feet in length, Cutter Eagle is the largest tall ship flying the stars and stripes and the only active square-rigger in United States government service. The long-term investigation was conducted by DEAs New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, Group T-41, and USPIS. Early this morning, agents, officers and inspectors arrested Duarte at his home at 237 Hoover Avenue, Yonkers, N.Y. and recovered approximately 400 grams of a white powdery substance, some of which tested positive as cocaine in a field test, and multiple cellphones from the residence in a court-authorized search.