A federal court in San Juan sentenced Domingo Acosta to 18 and a half years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for his involvement in importing more than 850 kilograms of cocaine into the United States. The sentencing was handed down by United States District Court Senior Judge Francisco A. Besosa on July 15, 2025.
Court documents show that Acosta pled guilty under a plea agreement to conspiracy to import cocaine from Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and other locations, as well as possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.
During the investigation, federal agents searched a property linked to Acosta on October 7, 2022. They seized two Glock handguns, multiple magazines and rounds of ammunition, two Garmin GPS units, and a handheld radio. Acosta also has a prior felony conviction related to immigration offenses.
The investigation was led by the DEA HIDTA Fajardo TFGII/Maritime Program. The case is part of Operation Take Back America, which aims to eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations nationwide. The Homeland Security Task Force Initiative assisted with the prosecution by providing permanent multi-agency task force teams working together at one location.
Assistant United States Attorney Antonio J. López-Rivera from the Asset Recovery, Money Laundering and Transnational Organized Crime Unit prosecuted the case.
"
