This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)), published as received.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On June 11, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 53 gang members from the municipality of San Juan with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession and distribution of controlled substances, and firearms violations, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. This investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB) San Juan Strike Force, with the collaboration of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S.  Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI),U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), U.S. Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), San Juan Municipal Police, Guaynabo Municipal Police, and Bayamón Municipal Police.

“We are committed to dismantling criminal organizations that seek to profit through the distribution of dangerous drugs like cocaine and fentanyl across Puerto Rico and beyond,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “This organization employed violence and intimidation tactics to maintain control in the Santurce area, but with today’s arrest operation we reinforce our commitment to protect our communities and prosecute these individuals to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Our message to these criminals is clear: we are reclaiming our streets from the grip of drug trafficking and the violence it brings,” said Rebecca González Ramos, Special Agent in Charge of HSI. “State and federal law enforcement agencies stand united in this mission. Our unwavering commitment is to restore peace to our communities and safeguard the true families of our island.”

The indictment alleges that from 2019, the drug trafficking organization distributed heroin,  cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”), cocaine, marijuana, and fentanyl, Oxycodone (commonly known as Percocet), and Alprazolam (commonly known as Xanax) within 1,000 feet of the Fray Bartolome de Las Casas, El Mirador de las Casas, and Las Margaritas Public Housing Projects (PHPs), and other areas in and nearby the municipality of San Juan, Puerto Rico, all for significant financial gain and profit.

The object of the conspiracy was to distribute wholesale quantities and street amount quantities of controlled substances in the Municipality of San Juan, specifically, the Santurce neighborhood and areas nearby, all for significant financial gain and profit. The object of LAS FARC was to maintain control of all the drug trafficking activities within the controlled areas using force, threats, violence, and intimidation. In preserving power and protecting territory, members of LAS FARC would profit from the illegal distribution of narcotics and the trafficking of illegal firearms. When members of the LAS FARC perceived threats to the organization and/or its members, they would incur in violent acts including but not limited to murder to protect themselves and their organization. Members of LAS FARC would also transport, distribute, and profit from the distribution of kilogram quantities of cocaine into the continental United States.

The investigation revealed that during the conspiracy the defendants and their co-conspirators used traffic barrels to prevent law enforcement from patrolling areas under LAS FARC’s control. The defendants provided armed escort to leaders and high-ranking members of the organization to protect them from law enforcement and/or enemy gang members, oftentimes using high powered rifles; they used to confront, intimidate and/or threaten law enforcement officers when patrolling the areas where LAS FARC operated. Leaders used part of the proceeds of the illegal activity to purchase legitimate assets, including, but not limited to, personalized jewelry.

The defendants acted in different roles to further the goals of the drug trafficking conspiracy, including as leaders, drug point owners, enforcers, runners, sellers, lookouts, and facilitators. Forty-one (41) defendants are facing one charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crimeand fifteen (15) of those defendants are facing one count of possession of a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The defendants charged in the indictment are:

[1] Alberto Valdez, a.k.a. “Pelota/Pelotero”

[2]Juan José De La Cruz-Natera, a.k.a. “Magu/El Gordo/Merengue/Merenguillo/Junior/Jr”

[3] Jesús Manuel Laureano-Pérez, a.k.a. “Mono”

[4] Carlos Alberto Pereira-Cruz, a.k.a. “Carlitos/Lebrón”

[5] Johan Oscar Pereira-Cruz, a.k.a. “Johi”

[6] Juan Rafael Concepción-Mercado, a.k.a. “Martillo”

[7] Moisés Serrano-De Jesús, a.k.a. “Bebote”

[8] José Luis Díaz-Martínez, a.k.a. “Jirafa”

[9] Gabiel Elias Lozada-Manzano, a.k.a. “El Father”

[10] Luis Abdiel Reyes-Nieves, a.k.a. “Tutin/La T”

[11] Xavier José Thompson-Bido, a.k.a. “Pimpollo/Ajusta Cuenta/Tarjeta”

[12] Ezequiel Olivo-Bido, a.k.a. “Cachete/Ct/Conejo”

[13] Raul Malavé-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Raulito”

[14] Luis Xavier Morales-Alonso, a.k.a. “Tostin”

[15] Christopher Cordero-Soto, a.k.a. “Big Boy/Biboy”

[16] Yanzie Vázquez-González, a.k.a. “Yancy/Intel”

[17] Ángel Luis Álvarez-Torres, a.k.a. “Luisito/La L”

[18] Michael Félix Sánchez-Ogando, a.k.a. “Panda/Bam Bam/Negro Mate”

[19] Jose Efraín Reyes-Ortiz

[20] Lázaro Escalera-Colón

[21] Anderson Melo, a.k.a. “David/Deivi/Bryan Sierra Ramos/Deivi Portorreal Diloche”

[22] Jean Carlos Ramos-Valdivia, a.k.a. “Caponi/El Flaco”

[23] Juan Carlos Uribarry-Carmona, a.k.a. “JC”

[24] Luis Manuel Olivo-Morán, a.k.a. “Luis Melo”

[25] Junior Francisco Alcántara-Escoboso, a.k.a. “Vaquero/Coronado”

[26] Yodnnel Adrián Vázquez-Kuidlan, a.k.a. “Gárgola”

[27] Ricardo Alfonso Fernández-Ulloa, a.k.a. “El Feo/Dior”

[28]Maycol A. Franco, a.k.a. “Maycol El Negro/Demensia/Negro/Michael El Negro”

[29] Jean Carlos Candelario-Figueroa, a.k.a. “Yankee”

[30] Jeffrey Figueroa-Rosado, a.k.a. “Jincho”

[31] Yoscar Argenis Restituyo-Campechano, a.k.a. “Restituyo/Joskal Alberto De La Cruz”

[32] Michael J. García-Torres, a.k.a. “Bollo/Bollo Loco”

[33] Pedro Santiago-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Cuate/El Cuate/Doctor”

[34] Michael Jovan Rodríguez-Cruz, a.k.a. “Kabe”

[35] Bryan Abdiel Camarena-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Vida Fácil/La Mosca”

[36] Christopher Casiano-López, a.k.a. “Ifer/Ifen”

[37] Edward Caleb Johnson-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Caleb/El Pelotero”

[38] Joseph David Vázquez-Ayala, a.k.a. “El Nuevo Pablo”

[39] Jowi Ramírez-Sánchez

[40] Diwell José Pierret-Mercedes, a.k.a. “Barber/Navaja”

[41] Juan Gabriel Morales-Alonso, a.k.a. “Maliant/Malanga”

[42] José Miguel Nieves-Caraballo, a.k.a. “Movie”

[43] Jonathan Prado-Torres, a.k.a. “Chayanne/Chayanne El Pato/El Pato/Chaiian”, “CH”

[44] Pablo Jonuel Fuentes-Morales, a.k.a. “Pablito”

[45] Alexie Manuel Delgado-Torres, a.k.a. “A6/Ale6/Taxista/A/X”

[46] Lennard Nicolás Santiago-Pérez, a.k.a. “Jekko”

[47] Yariel Enrique Morales-Fuentes, a.k.a. “Chantiel”

[48] Ramsiel Mercedes-Rivera, a.k.a. “Bebote”

[49] Bryan Joel Díaz-Hernández, a.k.a. “El Peke/El Futuro”

[50] Moisés Josué Benítez, a.k.a. “Jozzu”

[51] Hironel Burgos-Rosa, a.k.a. “Real Nicky”

[52] Roberto Crispín-Padilla, a.k.a. “El Domi”

[53] Estefany Dinanye Parra-Rosa

Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort; Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares; AUSA Laura Díaz-González and Special AUSA Carlos J. Romo-Aledo from the Puerto Rico Department of Justice are in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted on the drug charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. If convicted of both the drug and firearms charges in Count Seven, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 15 years, and up to life in prison. The defendants charged with possession of machineguns in furtherance of drug trafficking in Count Eight face a mandatory sentence of thirty years in prison to be served consecutive to any sentence imposed on the drug trafficking charges. All defendants are facing a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $3,924,753.75.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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