A federal grand jury has charged five South Florida residents for their alleged roles in a cocaine trafficking organization connected to an international network moving narcotics from Colombia through the Dominican Republic into South Florida, according to a May 4 announcement.
The charges are part of ongoing efforts to target drug routes and organizations bringing large quantities of cocaine into the region. Authorities say these operations impact public safety and contribute to broader criminal activity.
Daniel “Mickey” Hernandez, Frank Gonzalez, Alexander “Al Biggs” Walker Caraballo, Jose Luis “Lil Cuz” Diaz, Jr., and Humberto “Kiki” Moreno face conspiracy charges related to controlled substance distribution. Additional charges include distribution offenses and firearms violations. Court documents indicate that the group operated out of Miami, with Hernandez identified as a key distributor and others acting as suppliers or associates. Investigators traced their activities to a high-rise apartment in Midtown Miami where cocaine was stored for distribution.
The investigation follows previous initiatives targeting maritime smuggling networks responsible for importing significant amounts of cocaine into South Florida. Law enforcement seized over $250,000 in drug proceeds during one arrest and more than 1,600 kilograms of cocaine from a vessel during another interdiction. A search warrant at the Midtown apartment led agents to seize approximately 536 kilograms of cocaine, multiple firearms including an unserialized AK-47, and about $3.1 million in cash.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida said: "This prosecution is part of the HSTF initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion." The Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) aims to eliminate criminal cartels and transnational criminal organizations operating within the United States.
If convicted on conspiracy charges alone, defendants face mandatory minimum sentences of ten years up to life imprisonment; some also face additional penalties for firearms offenses.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida oversees an area spanning about 15,197 square miles across nine counties serving more than seven million residents according to its official website. The office operates under the U.S. Department of Justice according to its official website with branch offices in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Fort Pierce and Key West according to its official website. It prosecutes federal crimes and manages civil cases while collecting specific federal debts according to its official website. The office employs about 223 assistant attorneys along with special assistants and support staff according to its official website.
An indictment is only an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
