Two men from New Bedford, Massachusetts, Joshua Estrada (also known as “Mac”), 20, and Yancarlos Abrante (also known as “Glizzy”), 22, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland to charges stemming from a February 2024 drive-by shooting in Saco. The charges included conspiracy to distribute and possess cocaine with intent to distribute, perpetrating a drive-by shooting, and using a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
According to court records, on February 9, 2024, Estrada and Abrante fired at least five shots from a 9mm handgun into another vehicle following a dispute over the drug trade. After the shooting, they drove against traffic through a red light before crashing into another passenger vehicle and a school bus. Video footage captured by another driver showed them leaving their car and fleeing the scene on foot. Records also show that Estrada, Abrante, and others had been involved in trafficking cocaine in the Saco and Biddeford areas since at least January 2024.
A third defendant in the case, Jason Johnson-Rivera (also known as “Ouda”), 20, is expected to go to trial later this year.
“Today’s guilty pleas by Joshua Estrada and Yancarlos Abrante are the result of a tireless and cooperative investigation by local, state and federal law enforcement,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Craig M. Wolff. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and its partners are united in bringing to justice those who distribute drugs and commit acts of violence in this state.”
“These two violent, dangerous men committed a brazen, drive-by shooting in Saco in broad daylight following a dispute over the cocaine they were trafficking,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “Their unabashed criminal behavior put innocent lives at risk, all so they could maintain their hold on their drug territory and keep the cash rolling in. This case underscores how the FBI’s Southern Maine Gang Task Force and our law enforcement partners are working together to target and dismantle the violent drug gangs wreaking so much havoc in our communities, just to make money and a name for themselves on the street.”
Estrada and Abrante face mandatory minimum prison sentences of 20 years with maximums up to life imprisonment; fines may reach $10 million each; supervised release will be not less than five years after serving time. Sentencing will take place after completion of presentence investigative reports prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
Agencies involved in investigating this case include the Saco Police Department; FBI’s Southern Maine Gang Task Force; U.S. Border Patrol; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; with assistance from New Bedford Police Department.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that brings together law enforcement agencies at various levels along with community groups to reduce violent crime—particularly gun violence—and promote safer neighborhoods nationwide. Details about PSN can be found at https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn.
