A federal grand jury in Puerto Rico has indicted four people on cocaine charges, the U.S. Justice Department said in a recent press release.
Francisco Rivera-Rivera, Santiago Ramírez, Teddy Vergara-López and Jonathan Castro-Rivera were indicted for conspiracy and possession with the the purpose of distributing cocaine, the release said.
“The Caribbean Corridor Strike Force is composed of our federal, state and local counterparts in an effort to stop the movement of contraband in the Caribbean," Iván J. Arvelo, special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations in San Juan, said in the release. "Those involved in drug trafficking should know that the Caribbean is no longer an option to transship narcotics into the United States, we are working together, we are interdicting, and we are arresting.”
The indictments were related to the discovery of 50 kilos of cocaine inside a warehouse at Ponce Correctional Facility, the release said. Those participating in the conspiracy "packaged the cocaine inside cardboard boxes labeled as cleaning products."
"At this time, the evidence does not indicate the involvement of any correctional officer or correctional employee in the commission of this crime," the release said. "Instead, it appears that the cocaine-laden boxes were not removed from the shipment as planned, and were mistakenly taken to the Ponce warehouse with the cleaning products."
The seized cocaine is worth approximately $4.1 million, the release said.
“This operation reflects the excellent collaboration between our state and federal law enforcement partners," W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, said in the release. "We will continue following leads in this investigation in order to identify all of those responsible.”
Federal law enforcement agencies worked with Puerto Rico's Department of Public Safety, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Department of Justice and other agencies.
“Our combined mission in the investigation of this crime and violation of the law is to find and prosecute all individuals involved in this criminal organization,” Alexis Torres, secretary of Public Safety of Puerto Rico, said in the release.
