District of Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On January 28, 2026, United States District Court Judge Aida Delgado Colón sentenced two individuals to multiple years in prison for child exploitation.

Aneudy Jazzan Pérez-Santiago was sentenced to 10 years in prison for child exploitation. Pérez-Santiago was indicted on July 10, 2025, and arrested on July 14, 2025.

According to court documents, from February 2023 to February 2025, Aneudy Jazzan Pérez-Santiago used a cellphone, online instant messaging services, and social media to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a 14-year-old female minor to engage in sexual activity and transferred obscene material to her. 

The defendant plead guilty on October 2, 2025, to one count of coercion and enticement of a 14-year-old female minor. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daynelle Álvarez-Lora of the Crimes Against Children, Human Trafficking and Immigration Unit, prosecuted the case. The Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force led by HSI was in charge of the investigation.

In a second unrelated case, defendant José Antonio Vilella, of Fajardo, was sentenced to 57 months (four years and nine months) in prison for possession of child pornography. According to court documents, from April 2024 until November of 2024, Velilla knowingly possessed and accessed with intent to view images containing child exploitation material, including child pornography of a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained 12 years of age. Velilla was indicted on November 20, 2024; arrested on November 13, 2024, and pleaded guilty on October 16, 2025.

“There’s no greater priority than safeguarding our children from those who seek to exploit or harm them,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prioritize the prosecution of child sexual predators. We will not rest until those who commit these heinous crimes are brought to justice.”

“These sentences demonstrate the seriousness with which these crimes are prosecuted and the severe consequences faced by those who prey on children. These cases also prove that child predators have no single profile—one offender was a minister and teacher, while the other was a collector of online child exploitation images. We urge parents and trusted adults to remain vigilant and closely supervise the online activities of their children. Let this serve as an unequivocal warning: child predators will be found, prosecuted, and held fully accountable for their actions. HSI San Juan is unwavering in our commitment to protecting children and ensuring that anyone who threatens their safety is brought to justice,” said HSI San Juan Acting Special Agent in Charge Yariel Ramos.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Emelina Agrait Barreto of the Crimes Against Children, Human Trafficking and Immigration Unit prosecuted the case. The Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force led by HSI was in charge of the investigation.

U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Yariel Ramos, Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations San Juan made the announcement.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Manfred A. Pentzke Lemus, was sentenced on January 28, 2026, by United States District Court Judge Aida Delgado-Colón to over eight years in prison for orchestrating a multi-million dollar fraudulent scheme to obtain COVID-19 relief funds issued under the authority of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The Honorable Aida M. Delgado-Colón also imposed forfeiture of $488,674.28 and restitution totaling $2,185,519.85.

Pentzke Lemus pleaded guilty on September 24, 2025, to Count one of the indictment, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, 18 U.S.C. § 1349) and to count 21, Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h)).

According to court documents, Manfred A. Pentzke Lemus, aka “Man”, “Contable”, “El Gestor,” age 40, from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, organized and led a scheme to defraud the United States Small Business Administration and Oriental Bank by exploiting the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program. Pentzke and his co-conspirators, and the people they recruited submitted hundreds of fraudulent PPP and EIDL applications using false financial data and fabricated documents, including falsified tax forms.  Pentzke coordinated the preparation of these applications, often inserting fictitious payroll and income figures, and monitored their approval and disbursement.  As a result of the scheme, 223 fraudulent PPP loans were processed, resulting in the disbursement of $5,915,290.33. The SBA also disbursed $3,105,300 in EIDL funds as a result of the scheme.

Recruits paid kickbacks to Pentzke and the scheme’s organizers.  Pentzke, or companies that he controlled, received 100 of those kickbacks, totaling $486,277.70, which were disguised as legitimate business transactions to conceal their true purpose and facilitate loan forgiveness.  The conspiracy operated through layers of recruitment, falsified documentation, and structured kickback payments, resulting in the fraudulent disbursement of millions in federal relief funds.

“Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of exploiting emergency relief programs for personal gain.” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “These funds were intended to support businesses and workers during a national crisis, an unprecedented emergency, not to enrich individuals through fraud; and those who engage in fraud will be held accountable. I commend and thank the agents and prosecutors for their outstanding work on the investigation and prosecution of this case.”

Two of Pentzke’s co-defendants have been sentenced, three are pending sentencing.

The United States Secret Service, Small Business Administration Office of the Inspector General, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Treasury Department, Puerto Rico Bureau of Special Investigations, Puerto Rico Police Bureau, and Guaynabo Municipal Police.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Olinghouse prosecuted the case.

The CARES Act authorized federal assistance through the issuance of SBA loans to small businesses and non-profit entities that experienced revenue loss due to the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic. The EIDL program was one such loan assistance program for small businesses. To procure the loan, applicants had to fill out an online application detailing operational information for the 12‑month period prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the number of employees in the business, the gross business revenues realized, and the cost of goods sold. Another form of assistance provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of United States taxpayer funds in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, such as interest on mortgages, rent and utilities, through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico –Dominican authorities extradited Esteffani José Vasquez-Amarante, also known as “Ethian” or “Baby” to the United States to face drug trafficking and money laundering charges filed in the District of Puerto Rico, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. Vasquez-Amarante was arrested in the Dominican Republic on November 6, 2025, at the request of the United States and extradited to Puerto Rico on Wednesday, January 14, 2026.

“This extradition is another important step in our fight against drug trafficking and transnational organized crime. This prosecution demonstrates the commitment of the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners, and the cooperation of the Dominican Republic, to work together to bring international drug traffickers to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “We will continue to maximize our multi-agency efforts to disrupt and dismantle international drug cartels that smuggle drugs into Puerto Rico and the continental United States.”

“This extradition sends a clear message: leveraging political access, financial technology, or international borders, will not shield criminals from accountability,” said Claudia Dubravetz, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “The FBI, along-side our federal and international partners, will aggressively pursue transnational drug traffickers and money launderers who undermine the rule of law and threaten communities in the United States and abroad.”

On September 7, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Esteffani José Vasquez-Amarante with international conspiracy to distribute cocaine, international distribution of cocaine, and conspiracy to commit money laundering derived from specified unlawful activity – drug trafficking. Vasquez-Amarante facilitated drug trafficking and money laundering activity between La Romana, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico, through cryptocurrency.

According to the superseding indictment, since at least February of 2022, Vasquez-Amarante conspired to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine intending, knowing, and having reasonable cause to believe that it would be imported into the United States. The indictment also charges that Vasquez-Amarante conspired to commit money laundering derived from drug trafficking since no later than March 17, 2021. Specifically, the indictment states that Vasquez-Amarante and another co-conspirator directed the delivery of approximately $400,000 in U.S. currency – the product of drug trafficking -- to an individual in San Juan, Puerto Rico, who converted the drug proceeds to cryptocurrency.

On March 24, 2021, Vasquez-Amarante and another co-conspirator directed the delivery of approximately $2,000,000 in U.S. currency / drug proceeds to an individual in San Juan, Puerto Rico, who converted the drug proceeds to cryptocurrency. On or about April 14, 2021, another co-conspirator, at the direction of Vasquez-Amarante, attempted to deliver approximately $2,200,000 in U.S. currency / drug proceeds to an individual in San Juan, Puerto Rico, who had previously converted drug proceeds to cryptocurrency.

On January 14, 2026, Vasquez-Amarante was extradited from the Dominican Republic to San Juan, Puerto Rico by the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) Region 22, located in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, FBI Legal Attaché in Santo Domingo and law enforcement partners in the Dominican Republic provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition to the United States of Vasquez Amarante.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio L. Perez-Alonso under the supervision of Chief Myriam Y. Fernández-González and Deputy Chief María L. Montañez-Concepción from the Money Laundering & Transnational Organized Crime Section.

If convicted, Vasquez-Amarante faces a minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison for the drug trafficking charges and a sentence of up to 20 years of imprisonment for the money laundering charge.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF San Juan comprises agents and officers from the following federal partners: FBI, ICE-HSI, CBP (OFO, AMO and Border Patrol), the U.S. Marshals Service for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, DEA, ATF, IRS, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of State, and the U.S. Secret Service, the Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands HIDTA, TSA, FAA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The HSTF also has the following state and local law enforcement partners as participating agencies: the Puerto Rico Police Department; the San Juan, Carolina, Guaynabo, Barceloneta, and Ponce Municipal Police Departments, the Puerto Rico National Guard – Counter Drug Program; the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Service (Hacienda); the Puerto Rico Port Authority; and the Virgin Islands Police Department.

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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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On January 7, 2026, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Jeremy Ruiz-Rosario, 22 years of age, of Trujillo Alto, with two carjackings, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. Both carjackings were conducted at the same time, in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Ruiz-Rosario and others, brandishing firearms, carjacked two adult females. On January 12, 2026, the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Ruiz-Rosario.

According to the Government’s allegations, on August 30, 2021, in the District of Puerto Rico, Jeremy Ruiz-Rosario, while carrying and brandishing a firearm, did take a motor vehicle, to wit: a white, 2020 Toyota RAV4 that had been transported, shipped or received in interstate or foreign commerce, from the presence of an adult female, by force, violence and intimidation. On that same date, Ruiz-Rosario is also charged with the armed carjacking of a white 2011 Nissan Rogue from an adult female by force, violence and intimidation.

U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Claudia Dubravetz, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI made the announcement.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is in charge of the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Julian N. Radzinschi of the Violent Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution of the case.  If convicted, the defendant faces a sentence of up to fifteen years in prison for the carjackings and up to life in prison for the firearms charges.

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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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The United States Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Puerto Rico, in collaboration with the Puerto Rico Department of Justice, have been working arduously in the prevention and education efforts to raise public awareness to combat human trafficking, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.

Breaking the Cycle is a comprehensive educational outreach program designed to dismantle the roots of violence within Puerto Rican society. Operated under the U.S. Department of Justice, the program serves as a proactive intervention, shifting the focus from reactive enforcement to preventative education. By educating citizens with the cognitive tools to recognize and reject harmful behaviors, Breaking the Cycle aims to foster a sustainable island-wide culture rooted in safety, dignity, and mutual respect.

The program is inclusive and multi-generational, recognizing that safety is a collective responsibility. Our outreach specifically targets:

1. The Educational Ecosystem: K-12 students, university cohorts, and faculty.
2. The Family Unit: Parents and caregivers seeking to create safe domestic environments.
3. Vulnerable Populations: Specialized sessions for the elderly and at-risk youth.
4. Community Leadership: Local organizations and civic groups.

“Human traffickers, particularly those who prey on children, exploit the most vulnerable segments of our society,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “We value the relationships we have with local law enforcement partners to help identify and investigate cases of human trafficking. Together, we strive to educate our communities to detect signs of this illegal activity and report it.”

“Education, supported by strong values and access to adequate resources, constitutes the most effective tool to prevent and eradicate risky behaviors. Educating citizens who are aware of their rights, committed to their duties, and engaged in the well-being of their communities is a collective responsibility. Recognizing that human trafficking is a harm that concerns us all, we join the U.S. Attorney’s Office in this important prevention initiative, confident that by educating the public to recognize and reject harmful behaviors, we contribute to the building of a society grounded in safety, dignity, and mutual respect,” said PR Secretary of Justice, Lourdes L. Gómez Torres.

Breaking the Cycle is available upon request to any institution or community group in Puerto Rico. We facilitate these essential conversations at no cost to the requesting party. To coordinate a presentation or for more information, please contact:

Public Affairs and Community Engagement Division (PACE)

U.S. Attorney’s Office – District of Puerto Rico

Email: USAPR.Outreach@usdoj.gov

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SAN JUAN, P.R. – On December 17, 2025, a Federal Grand Jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging eight women with engaging in fraud scheme to obtain unemployment compensation from the Puerto Rico Department of Labor (PRDOL) totaling $619,923 and to make kickback payments to a public official, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are in charge of the investigation with the assistance of the Puerto Rico Police, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG), and the Puerto Rico Department of Treasury (Hacienda). The Puerto Rico Department of Labor initiated the referral to federal authorities.

According to the indictment, the defendants conspired to submit false information in order to fraudulently obtain unemployment compensation from the PRDOL. This was done by using false personal identifying information, using identifying information of other individuals, and providing false information related to past employment history. Defendant Luz Garay-Osorio, using her position as an employee of PRDOL, made changes in the PRDOL system to make family members eligible to receive unemployment benefits, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, and Disaster Unemployment Assistance.  Garay-Osorio also used her position as a PRDOL interviewer to file fraudulent claims, create false work history, change historical changes, and make monetary and non-monetary determinations. In addition, Garay-Osorio submitted fraudulent claims using other individuals’ identities and caused benefits to be paid to co-conspirators, including family members.

The defendants fraudulently obtained approximately $619,923 in benefits and Garay-Osorio received approximately $142,507 in kickback payments as follows.

[1] Luz Garay-Osorio directly received approximately $13,308 in fraudulent benefits.

[2] Glenda Garay-Osorio received approximately $107,291 in fraudulent benefits and transferred approximately $17,857.00 to the bank account of Luz Garay-Osorio.

[3] Tatiana Skerrett-Garay received   approximately $46,834 in fraudulent benefits and transferred approximately $20,597.98 to the bank account of Luz Garay-Osorio.

[4] Ariana Skerrett-Garay received approximately $45,946 in fraudulent benefits and transferred the entire amount to the bank account of Luz Garay-Osorio.

[5] Dayanara   Aquino-Garay received approximately $73,950 in fraudulent benefits and transferred approximately $10,575.00 to the bank account of Luz Garay-Osorio.

[6] Nashaly Vega-Garay received approximately $102,670 in fraudulent benefits and transferred approximately $21,423.00 to the bank account of Luz Garay-Osorio.

[7] Almarys De Jesús-Garay received approximately $13,803 in fraudulent benefits and transferred approximately $1,000.00 to the bank account of Luz Garay-Osorio.

[8] Mariela Cabrera-Vistel received approximately $58,015 in fraudulent benefits and caused the purchase of 18 money orders totaling $17,500 that were deposited in the bank account of Luz Garay-Osorio and an additional approximately $7,609 was transferred to the bank account of Luz Garay-Osorio.

In addition to being charged with conspiracy to steal federal funds and honest services mail fraud, Garay-Osorio is also charged with money laundering and aggravated identity theft. Garay-Osorio was subsequently terminated by the Puerto Rico Department of Labor.

“These defendants engaged in a scheme to defraud the Puerto Rico Department of Labor by using an employee’s position of trust to file numerous fraudulent unemployment insurance claims when they were not entitled to such benefits,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “The United States Department of Justice, along with our state and federal counterparts will continue to hold accountable those who seek to exploit federal benefits for personal gain, to protect vulnerable populations, and to safeguard the integrity of taxpayer-funded programs. We commend the outstanding work and collaboration of our law enforcement partners in the investigation of this case.”

“An important part of the mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of fraud involving the U.S. Department of Labor’s unemployment insurance program. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of allegations,” stated Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, Northeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.

“This investigation underscores our commitment to protecting public funds and holding accountable those who abuse positions of trust for personal gain,” said Joe Rodríguez, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “The FBI will continue working closely with our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and prosecute fraudulent schemes that undermine critical assistance programs and hurt our communities.”

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to working with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to investigative and bring to justice those who defraud the American taxpayer and fraudulently use the nation’s mail system,” said Bladismir Rojo, Postal Inspector in Charge, Miami Division.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Anderson is in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted, the defendants are facing up to 5 years of imprisonment for theft of government money and conspiracy. Luz Garay-Osorio is also facing up to 20 years of imprisonment for honest services mail fraud and a mandatory two-year sentence in prison for aggravated identity theft. In addition, Luz Garay Osorio and Mariela Cabrera Vistel are facing up to 20 years in prison for money laundering conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Luz Garay-Osorio is the ninth Commonwealth of Puerto Rico employee to be charged or plead guilty to a federal corruption offense since 2024. See United States v. Antonio Silva-Rodriguez (Hacienda employee – CR 23-452(CVR)); United States v. Hector Vazquez-Barroso (Hacienda employee – CR 23-452(CVR)); United States v. Doris Bonilla-Valle (Hacienda employee – CR 23-452(CVR)); United States v. Nancy Baez-Flores (CESCO employee – CR 24-238(PAD)); United States v. Joselyn Figueroa-Rosario (CESCO employee – CR 24-238(PAD)); United States v. Javier Relta-Lebron (Hacienda employee – CR 25-434(PAD)); United States v. Harry Muriel-Falero (Hacienda employee – CR 25-434(PAD)); United States v. Elsa Santiago-Colon (Hacienda employee – CR 25-492(SCC)). 

To report a COVID-19-related fraud scheme or suspicious activity, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) by calling the NCDF Hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form

To report a bribery/kickback scheme or suspicious public corruption activity, contact the FBI by calling the San Juan Field Office at (787)987-6500 or online via www.tips.fbi.gov

Indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Two men were arrested by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) on criminal charges related to child exploitation conduct.

On Thursday, December 4, 2025, the Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Taskforce (PRCACTF) led by HSI, arrested José Antonio Maestre-Rivera, a 27-year-old man from Carolina, PR.

A federal grand jury indicted Maestre-Rivera on December 3, 2025, with five counts of sexual exploitation of children, coercion and enticement of a minor, transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, receipt of child exploitation material, and transfer of obscene material to a minor.

According to court documents, from April through October 2025, defendant Maestre-Rivera used electronic devices and internet social media applications to persuade and entice a 14-year-old female minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct. During the same period, Maestre-Rivera produced, received, and transmitted child exploitation material. He also knowingly transported said minor with the intent to engage in sexual activity.

If convicted, the defendant faces a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

In a separate case, Gilberto Fontanez Alvarado, a 67-year-old man from Bayamón, was arrested on December 4, 2025, by HSI agents. A federal grand jury indicted Fontanez Alvarado with two counts of transportation of child exploitation material and possession of child exploitation material.

According to the indictment, from August 2012 through November 2025, the defendant knowingly used electronic devices, for the possession and access with intent to view of images of child exploitation material, including of a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained 12 years of age.

If convicted, Fontanez Alvarado faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

AUSA Emelina M. Agrait-Barreto of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting both cases.

“We are committed to bringing child predators, including those charged in these cases, to justice and protecting our children,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “I would like to thank the federal agents, prosecutors and our state and local partners who are relentless in their efforts to identify and prosecute those who seek to exploit children.”

“These charges highlight a deeply troubling and escalating threat in child exploitation cases: predators who collect and trade images of child sexual abuse material are aggressively using social media platforms to target and groom minors,” said HSI San Juan Acting Special Agent in Charge Yariel Ramos. “In one case, the suspect deliberately initiated contact with a minor through public social media profiles, then swiftly shifted to private direct messages to facilitate their criminal acts. In the other case, our investigation uncovered disturbing evidence of a collection of illicit images demonstrating the long-term and calculated nature of this predatory behavior. These cases serve as a stark warning of the relentless danger posed by online predators. HSI remains unwavering in our commitment to identifying, arresting, and prosecuting these offenders. We urge parents, guardians, and communities to remain alert and proactive in protecting children. HSI will continue to work with our federal and local partners to ensure these criminals are brought to justice.”

For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit iGuardians™: Combating Child Predators  and to denounce suspicious activities call 787-729-6969.

For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from online sexual abuse, visit https://www.ice.gov/topics/iGuardians.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On November 20, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging three individuals with bribery and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) led the investigation in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

“Drug trafficking destroys families and communities,” said United States Attorney Muldrow. “These defendants were using the United States Postal Service to facilitate their drug trafficking activities which foster violence and addiction. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and its partners will aggressively prosecute drug traffickers and corrupt government officials and seek justice for our communities.”

“The Special Agents of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General will continue to maintain the integrity of the U.S. Postal Service and its personnel,” said Special Agent in Charge Modafferi of U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. “The conduct alleged is disgraceful, and our office will continue to tirelessly investigate Postal Service employees and their co-conspirators who violate the public’s trust. This case serves as an excellent example of the successful collaboration between the USPS OIG, our law enforcement partners, and the District of Puerto Rico U.S Attorney’s Office to pursue the prosecution of all those involved in criminal activity relating to the Postal Service.”

“Individuals who conspire to distribute controlled substances, attempt to compromise public officials, and violate the integrity of the U.S. mail, will be held accountable. Our office, alongside our law-enforcement partners, will continue to pursue those who endanger public trust and public safety,” said Joe Rodríguez, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office.

The indictment alleges that from January 2022 until April of 2024 the defendants conspired to distribute over 100 kilograms of marijuana through the United States Postal Service (USPS). Defendant Héctor Melvin Candelaria-Carrero, a.k.a. “Candy/Cartero”, served as a USPS City Carrier in Isabela, Puerto Rico. While engaged in his official duties, Candelaria-Carrero diverted, delayed and stole USPS parcels and provided the diverted and stolen mail to defendants Carlos Nadín Nieves-Pastrana, a.k.a. “Nandy” and José Manuel Muñoz-Torres, a.k.a. “Kuki/Cuqui”, in exchange for bribe payments.

At times, Candelaria-Carrero took photos of specific parcels with his personal phone. Using the assigned USPS scanner device, he scanned the photos taken on his personal phone at the correct delivery address. Rather than deliver the parcels at the delivery addresses, Candelaria-Carrero diverted the parcels to other locations and hid the locations of the diverted and stolen mail from the USPS. Defendant Candelaria-Carrero used his private cellular number, WhatsApp messages and phone calls to communicate with Nieves-Pastrana and Muñoz-Torres and to exchange bribe payments and the diverted or stolen parcels, including parcels containing controlled substances.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tania Y. Salas De-Jesús is in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted on the drug charges, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, and up to life in prison. 

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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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On November 12, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging two individuals for conspiracy to traffic suboxone, providing and possessing contraband in prison.

According to court documents, Alejandro Sáenz-Concepción, 47, and Alejandro Sáenz-Escobar, 28, of Manatí, PR, knowingly and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of suboxone since September 2025. Sáenz-Escobar is facing three counts of conspiracy to traffic suboxone, providing contraband in prison, and possessing contraband in prison. Sáenz-Concepción is facing one count in conspiracy to traffic suboxone.

“Prisoners who smuggle contraband, including drugs, into prison and their accomplices will be held accountable by the Department of Justice,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “We thank the Bureau of Prisons officers and the FBI for their hard work and dedication in investigating this case.”

“Introducing contraband into a federal prison is a serious violation of the law and the FBI will do everything in its power to hold accountable those who commit this offense,” said Joe Rodríguez, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “We will continue to work with our partners at the Bureau of Prisons to identify and prosecute these individuals. We encourage people with information on this or any other federal crime to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or leave a tip online through tips.fbi.gov — all tips will be handled confidentially.”

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI and the Bureau of Prisons are investigating the case.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucille Marqués-Pacheco and Assistant US Attorney and Chief of the Gangs Section, Alberto López-Rocafort are prosecuting the case.

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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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury returned a seven-count indictment against three Puerto Rico Police Bureau officers: Luis A. Nieves-Colón, Ángel R. Giusti-Rosa, and Alberto Betancourt-Aponte.  The charges include a violation of civil rights, conspiracy to falsify records, falsification of records, and making materially false statements to federal agents.

According to court documents, the charges arise from an arrest on March 7, 2023, at the Sabana Abajo Public Housing Project in Carolina, Puerto Rico, involving an individual identified as J.C.F.G.  The indictment alleges that Nieves-Colón used unreasonable force resulting in bodily injury during an arrest, in violation of federal civil rights law.

Violation of Civil Rights

Count One charges Nieves-Colón with depriving J.C.F.G. of the right to be free from unreasonable force while acting under color of law, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 242.

Conspiracy and Falsification of Records

Counts Two through Six allege that Nieves-Colón, Giusti-Rosa, and/or Betancourt-Aponte falsified and conspired to falsify Puerto Rico Police Bureau Use-of-Force Reports and other documents to obstruct and impede a matter within the jurisdiction of the FBI. The indictment alleges that the defendants knowingly omitted the fact that a police officer had struck J.C.F.G. and created false narratives regarding the events of the arrest.

False Statements to the FBI

Count Seven charges Betancourt-Aponte with making a materially false statement to the FBI during an interview on November 14, 2025. According to the indictment, he falsely stated that he had no knowledge on March 7, 2023, that a police officer had struck J.C.F.G.

“The vast majority of police officers serve our communities with honor. But when they misuse their authority, they deprive victims of their civil rights and diminish the public’s trust in our criminal justice system,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The Department of Justice remain steadfast in safeguarding the constitutional rights of all residents of Puerto Rico.”

“We are committed to pursuing those who undermine the integrity of law enforcement,” said Joe Rodriguez, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “These arrests are an example of how no one is above the law – even those who enforce it cannot falsify records or evade justice. The FBI will remain vigilant, along with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to tackle corruption and uphold justice for the people of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. If you have information on this or any other federal crime leave a tip online through tips.fbi.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI. Tips can be handled confidentially.”

If convicted, the defendants face the following maximum penalties:

   •   Civil rights violation (18 U.S.C. § 242): up to 10 years in prison

   •   Conspiracy (18 U.S.C. § 371): up to 5 years in prison

   •   Falsification of records (18 U.S.C. § 1519): up to 20 years in prison per count

   •   False statements (18 U.S.C. § 1001): up to 5 years in prison

A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI encourages anyone with information related to the arrest on March 7, 2023 in the Sabana Abajo Public Housing Project described in the indictment to contact the FBI San Juan Field Office at (787) 987-6500 or submit a tip online at www.tips.fbi.gov.

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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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On Friday, November 21, 2025, Elsa Santiago-Colón, a Puerto Rico Department of Treasury (Departamento de Hacienda or “PRTD”) employee pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to defraud the United States, involving the theft of government funds, in violation of  Title 18 U.S.C. § 371.

According to the charges and evidence in the case, Elsa Santiago-Colón, knowingly and willfully conspired with others to steal more than $1,000 in federal funding, as well as accepting bribery payments in exchange for her corrupt acts. The allegations include that from January 2021 until May 2021, Santiago-Colón was a public official at the PRTD and had privileged access to the Internal Revenue Unified System (“SURI” for its Spanish acronym) accounts of Puerto Rico taxpayers. As part of the conspiracy to defraud, Santiago-Colón corruptly accepted cash payments and other benefits, including meals, in exchange for modifying and providing the SURI credentials of taxpayers to Individual A, a coconspirator. With that SURI information, Individual A later submitted fraudulent applications to the Business Interruption Grant (“BIG”) program, which provided assistance from the U.S. Treasury Coronavirus Relief Fund to eligible small businesses. In total, PRDT disbursed an approximate total of $128,000 in fraudulent funds because of the crimes charged.

“Together with our law enforcement partners, our office will continue to aggressively pursue corrupt individuals in the government who take advantage of the system to benefit a few in exchange for bribes,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow. “This prosecution serves as a warning to other public employees involved in these types of schemes that they will be investigated and prosecuted, and that such violations will not be tolerated.”

Elsa Santiago-Colón made her initial court appearance at the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico where she waived indictment and pleaded guilty to a one-count Information before United States District Judge Silvia Carreño-Coll.  She faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine not to exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars, and supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine her sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linet Olinghouse is prosecuting the case.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment today charging two Toa Alta municipal police officers with drug trafficking.

According to court documents, Xavier Oropeza-Rosado, 42, and Julio Ángel Berdecía-Rodríguez, 46, of Toa Alta, knowingly and intentionally attempted to possess with intent to distribute cocaine on several occasions since April 2023. Oropeza-Rosado is facing two counts of drug trafficking and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Berdecía-Rodríguez is facing three counts of drug trafficking and three counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

“The vast majority of police officers bravely serve and protect our communities with honor. When law enforcement officers break that trust, it is our responsibility to bring them to justice,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.

“Public trust is the foundation of every badge in this country. When those sworn to protect their communities choose instead to betray that oath, they undermine the integrity of the entire justice system,” said Claudia Dubravetz, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “Today’s arrests make one thing clear: no position, no uniform, and no authority exempts anyone from accountability. The FBI will continue to work closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to confront corruption wherever it surfaces and ensure the people of Puerto Rico are served with honesty, fairness, and the rule of law.”

The defendants made their initial court appearances on November 20, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marcos E. López of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. If convicted, the defendants face a statutory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life for the drug trafficking counts and a consecutive statutory minimum sentence of 5 years per firearm count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney César E. Rivera Díaz is prosecuting the case.

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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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Today, Colombian authorities extradited Consolidated Priority Organizational Target (CPOT) Jose Orlando Buitrago-Rodríguez, also known as “Tito el Borracho” or “Tito” or “El Borracho,” to the United States to face drug trafficking charges filed in the District of Puerto Rico. United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico and Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office, made the announcement.

On January 27, 2023, a Federal Grand Jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an Indictment against Buitrago-Rodríguez charging him with international conspiracy to distribute cocaine for the purpose of unlawful importation, importation of cocaine, and attempt to import cocaine. The Indictment also includes a narcotics forfeiture allegation regarding 14 real properties and five vehicles. 

Buitrago-Rodríguez was the leader of a transnational criminal organization (TCO) based in Colombia. This TCO sent many shipments totaling over ten thousand kilograms of cocaine from Colombia and Venezuela to Puerto Rico and the continental United States, often through the Dominican Republic. Once successfully smuggled into Puerto Rico, drug traffickers then smuggled the majority of the cocaine into the continental United States for further distribution.

The Attorney General designated Buitrago-Rodríguez as a CPOT in 2022. The Attorney General’s Interagency CPOT list is comprised of leaders who exercise “command and control” of the elements of the most prolific drug trafficking/money laundering organizations that have the greatest impact on the United States’ illicit drug supply.  The CPOT list represents the “most wanted” of the cartel leadership and ensures that the full capabilities of the U.S. government are focused, in a coordinated and clear manner, on a group of agreed-upon high-level targets.

“This prosecution and extradition demonstrate the Department of Justice’s relentless efforts to eliminate international drug cartels flooding our streets with deadly drugs and to bring their leaders to justice,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow.  “This case also highlights the strategic and critical role that Puerto Rico plays in defending our nation against TCOs, cartels, and foreign terrorist organizations.

“This capture is another step in our fight to crush violent crime. It reflects what our mission demands—relentless pursuit, disciplined execution, and zero tolerance for those who threaten our communities,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “We will hunt down the drivers of violence—wherever they run, however long it takes.”

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the collaboration of partner agencies Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, United States Coast Guard, Internal Revenue Service, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations HSI, and the San Juan Puerto Rico Municipal Police.

On January 22, 2024, in coordination with foreign officials, Buitrago-Rodríguez was located and arrested in Colombia at the request of the United States. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition from Colombia. The Department of Justice also recognizes the significant collaboration provided by authorities in Colombia.

In July 2025, the government of Colombia conducted an asset seizure operation related to Buitrago-Rodríguez based, in large part, on the United States Indictment and investigation, seizing 18 properties, including vehicles, land lots, farms, houses, and commercial establishments. The value of all the items seized was approximately $6,769,988.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio L. Pérez-Alonso under the supervision of Chief Myriam Y. Fernández-González and Deputy Chief María L. Montañez-Concepción from the Asset Recovery, Money Laundering, & Transnational Organized Crime Section.

If convicted, Buitrago-Rodríguez faces a minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison for all the drug trafficking charges.

This prosecution and extradition are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.

HSTF San Juan comprises agents and officers from the below-listed federal agencies with the prosecution in this case being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico: 

(1) the Federal Bureau of Investigation; (2) U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations – SAC San Juan; (3) the United States Attorney’s Offices for the District of Puerto Rico and the District of the United States Virgin Islands; (4) the United States Marshals Service for the Districts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands; (5) U.S. Customs and Border Protection – Office of Field Operations San Juan Field Office; (6) U.S. Customs and Border Protection - Caribbean Air and Marine Branch; (7) U.S. Border Patrol – Ramey Sector; (8) Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Caribbean Division; (9) U.S. Coast Guard – Sector San Juan; (10) U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service; (11) High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) - Puerto Rico / Virgin Islands; (12) Internal Revenue Service; (13) Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives – Miami Field Division – RAC San Juan; (14) U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Miami Division, San Juan Field Office; (15) United States Secret Service – RAC San Juan; (16) Transportation Security Administration – Federal Air Marshal; and (17) Federal Aviation Administration.

In addition, the following state and local law enforcement agencies participate with and provide resources to the HSTF: (1) Puerto Rico Police Department; (2) San Juan Municipal Police Department; (3) Carolina Municipal Police Department; (4) Guaynabo Municipal Police Department; (5) Barceloneta Municipal Police Department; (6) Ponce Municipal Police Department; (7) Puerto Rico National Guard – Counter Drug Program; (8) Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; (9) Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Service (Hacienda); (10) Puerto Rico Port Authority; and (11) Virgin Islands Police Department.

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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A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Luz Maria Peña Lopez, 55, and her daughter, Tatiana Correa Peña, 36, of Carolina, Puerto Rico, with forced labor and conspiracy to commit forced labor, announced Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico W. Stephen Muldrow.  Peña Lopez was also charged with document servitude, and Peña Lopez’s husband, Enrique Gutierrez Rivera, 54, a municipal police officer in Carolina, Puerto Rico, was charged with misprision of a felony related to his knowledge, failure to report, and concealment of his co-defendants’ misuse of the victim’s Social Security benefits.  The three defendants were placed under arrest early this morning.

According to the indictment, defendants Peña Lopez and Correa Peña used physical beatings, physical restraint, threats of violence, document servitude, isolation, denial of basic hygiene and medical care, and the provision of drugs and/or unprescribed medication to force the victim—an intellectually disabled adult woman—to panhandle for money, engage in criminal and fraudulent activities for their financial benefit, and perform domestic labor in their shared residence.  Defendants Peña Lopez and Correa Peña also converted the victim’s monthly Social Security disability benefits for their own personal use.

“The Justice Department condemns the appalling abuse and forced labor inflicted on this disabled victim, as alleged in this indictment, and we are committed to ensuring the perpetrators face the full consequences of the law,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.

The indictment specifically notes that as part of their coercive scheme to compel the victim’s labor, defendants Peña Lopez and Correa Peña threatened the victim with violence and death; physically beat the victim, sometimes using objects such as belts, broomsticks, and cables; restricted the victim’s ability to leave the residence by forcing her to sleep in a space formerly used to house goats and roosters, at times locking her inside overnight; and used the victim’s Social Security disability benefits for their own personal use, denying those funds to the victim for even basic hygiene items such as clothes, toothbrushes, deodorant, and sanitary pads.

The maximum penalty for the offense of forced labor is 20 years in federal prison.  The maximum penalty for misprision of a felony is three years. 

The case is being investigated by the FBI.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daynelle Alverez and Trial Attorney Jessica Arco of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.

Anyone who believes they may have relevant information to share about this case is asked to contact the FBI Field Office at 1-787-987-6500.

If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

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

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury issued a superseding indictment on September 25, 2025, charging 14 members of a transnational criminal organization from the municipality of Camuy with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession, and distribution of controlled substances, firearms violations, and money laundering, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. This investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Defendants [3] Victor Hernandez and [9] Yamil González-Vargas remain at large and are considered fugitives. Members of the public with information concerning their whereabouts may contact HSI’s sector San Juan communication center at (787) 729-6969 or HSI’s Tip Line at (866) 347-2423 and https://www.ice.gov/webform/ice-tip-form.

“One of our top priorities continues to be the disruption and dismantling of violent drug trafficking organizations, at every level,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The result of this joint operation, with the collaboration of our state counterparts, shows our commitment to making our communities safer.”

“We will not allow drug smugglers, money launderers, and weapons traffickers, to threaten the safety of our communities. HSI is focused in identifying criminal networks that fuel violence, destabilize neighborhoods, and prey on our children and families. The message is clear, we will continue to strike at every level these organizations, cutting off their profits, seizing their weapons and ensuring that those responsible face justice,” said Rebecca González-Ramos, Special Agent in Charge, HSI San Juan (Puerto Rico & U.S. Virgin Islands).

The superseding indictment alleges that from 2021 through September 25, 2025, [1] Emilio Lopez-Vargas led a continuing criminal enterprise, responsible for the importation and distribution of hundreds of kilograms of cocaine for substantial profit. As set forth in the superseding indictment and other court filings, “La V” was a large-scale drug trafficking organization directed by [1] Emilio Lopez-Vargas based out of Camuy, Puerto Rico, that operated in coordination with Dominican Republic sources of supply (the “La V” or the “Lopez-Vargas Drug Trafficking Organization”). La V used boats to import multi-kilogram shipments of cocaine from the Dominican Republic into Puerto Rico. Some of the boats that were utilized by La V had hidden compartments designed to conceal the cocaine. Upon the arrival of the cocaine shipments to Puerto Rico, portions of the cocaine would be distributed and sold throughout Puerto Rico. Other portions of the cocaine shipments would be shipped to the continental United States via a global logistics company and the United States Postal Service. La V utilized employees of the United States Postal Service and a global logistics company to protect the shipments of cocaine sent to the continental United States. Once the cocaine was transported to the continental United States members of the organization would cut the cocaine with adulterants and repackage it for greater profit. Members of the organization would then provide samples of cocaine to end users to test the quality of the cocaine. Finally, La V would distribute the cocaine to end users. In Puerto Rico, members of the drug organization would store fentanyl and cocaine at residences where it was packaged for distribution and finally distributed to end users. Members of the La V also transported firearms from Puerto Rico to the Dominican Republic via vessels generating substantial income and profit. The drug proceeds were then laundered back to Puerto Rico.

Defendants [1] Emilio Lopez-Vargas and [2] John Lopez-Peralta were responsible for the coordination and the importation of cocaine into the United States from their contacts in the Dominican Republic. They procured boats with hidden compartments and [1] Emilio Lopez- Vargas also shipped firearms to the Dominican Republic.

Members of La V, including [1] Emilio Lopez-Vargas, [4] Axel Manuel Cardec-Lugo,[5] Richard Romero-Rodriguez, [10] Jeiric Gilberto Ramos-Rodriguez, and [14] Whilhelm Lopez-Afanador shipped packages containing cocaine through the mail to members of the organization located the continental United States. The packages would contain kilogram quantities of cocaine. Members of the organization would store the proceeds of the cocaine sales in various stash houses and make periodic commercial flights returning to Puerto Rico with large sums of United States currency stored in suitcases, or the proceeds would be laundered back into the organization. [4] Axel Manuel Cardec-Lugo was an employee of a global logistics company and would provide information to [1] Emilio Lopez-Vargas about shipments. Members of law enforcement seized approximately 203 kilograms from packages in which [4] Axel Manuel Cardec-Lugo was the courier.

The defendants charged in the drug trafficking conspiracy are: [1] Emilio Lopez-Vargas, also known as “Macanita” and “La M”, [2] John Lopez-Peralta, also known as “Macana”, [3] Victor Omar Hernandez, also known as “El Indio” and “Vic”, [4] Axel Manuel Cardec-Lugo, also known as “Axel Carde-Lugo” and “Maquina”, [5] Richard Romero-Rodriguez, also known as “Riche”, [6] Owen Alexander Roman-Ramos, also known as “La O”, [7] Kevin Orlando Collazo-Fernandez, also known as “Maluma”, [8] Noel Mercado-Rosa, also known as “Sangre”, [9] Yamil Yaniel Gonzalez-Vargas, also known as “Yamo”, [10] Jeiric Gilberto Ramos-Rodriguez, [11] Carlos Ramon Santiago-Velazquez, also known as “Gordo”
[12] Hector Armando Roa-Ramos, [13] Jovanni Perez-Garcia, also known as “Jova” and “Jomo”, [14] Whilhelm Lopez-Afanador, also known as “Wille Bombe”, Nine defendants are charged in Count twelve with conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Asset Recovery, Money Laundering, and Transnational Organized Crime Section Myriam Y. Fernández-González, Deputy Chief of the Asset Recovery, Money Laundering, and Transnational Organized Crime Section Maria L. Montañez-Concepción and AUSA Ryan R. McCabe are prosecuting the case.

If convicted of the drug charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. The defendants charged with possession of machineguns in furtherance of drug trafficking face a sentence of thirty years to life in prison, consecutive to the sentence imposed on the drug charges.

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.

All defendants charged in the drug conspiracy are facing a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $11,000,000. The property to be forfeited includes, but is not limited to, the properties listed in the Continuing Criminal Enterprise Forfeiture Allegation of the superseding indictment.

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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United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow released the following statement regarding the continuing operations of the Puerto Rico U.S. Attorney’s Office during a lapse in appropriations:

The Department of Justice, including the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, is comprised of components that have a broad array of national security, law enforcement, criminal justice, and other responsibilities. The Department’s mission is to enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States, to protect the public from all threats - foreign and domestic, to provide federal leadership in preventing crime and prosecuting criminals, including the protection of human life and property, and to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all.

Notwithstanding the lapse in Congressional appropriations, the public safety mission in Puerto Rico will continue to be carried out without interruption. The dedicated and hard working personnel in the U.S. Attorney’s Office and all of our federal law enforcement partner agencies will remain steadfast and will not relent.

# # #

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On September 22, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 43 gang members from the municipality of Cayey 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) Guayama Strike Force, with the collaboration of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) and Air and Marine Operations (AMO), the U.S.  Marshals Service, the U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Today during the arrests, the following agencies provided support: Puerto Rico National Guard, Ponce Municipal Police, Guaynabo Municipal Police, Bayamón Municipal Police, and San Juan Municipal Police.

“Thanks to the great investigative work of our law enforcement partners, the important leaders, enforcers and other members of the violent gang known as Los Vira’o are being taken off our streets,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “These arrests reflect our steadfast determination to remove violent gangs from our communities.”

“We will not tolerate criminal organizations that continue to threaten the safety and well-being of our communities while profiting from the distribution of deadly narcotics on our streets. These groups show nothing but disrespect for our neighborhoods, our children, and the elderly —taking lives at every turn. Let me be clear: the arrests do not end here. Our commitment and resources are fully dedicated to one mission—eliminating transnational criminal organizations. Not disrupting. Not dismantling. Eliminating,” said Rebecca González-Ramos, Special Agent in Charge, HSI San Juan (Puerto Rico & U.S. Virgin Islands).

The indictment alleges that from 2021, 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 Luis Muñoz Morales and Jardines de Montellano (a/k/a “Greyskull”) Public Housing Projects (PHPs), the Polvorín Ward in Cayey, and other areas throughout 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 at the Luis Muñoz Morales and Jardines de Montellano PHPs, the Polvorín Ward in Cayey, as well as other areas throughout Puerto Rico and the continental United States. The organization referred to itself as Los Vira’o and used other insignia to identify its membership and loyalty, including jewelry, stickers, or tattoos of the letters “LFNM,” which stands for “La Familia Nunca Muere,” (The Family Never Dies). The top leader of the gang, Efraín A. Planell-Pérez, although incarcerated, used contraband cellular devices to communicate with gang members, hold conference calls and video calls, make electronic fund transfers, and coordinate gang activity. Additionally, Planell-Pérez purchased drugs and guns, gave orders regarding the function of the drug points, ordered murders, resolved disputes, and taught new members how to prepare drugs for sale, among other criminal actions.

According to court documents, members of Los Vira’o posted criminal activities to social media both to raise their own status and intimidate rivals. On occasion, some members of the drug trafficking organization purchased commercially available security cameras, installed them in the PHPs, and downloaded corresponding applications to their cellular devices to monitor activity within those PHPs, looking out for police activity and attacks by rival gangs.

A group of the founding members of Los Vira’o previously belonged to another drug trafficking organization based in Caguas, Puerto Rico. Those members of Los Vira’o turned against the other Caguas-based gang, and since the inception of Los Vira’o in 2021 have been in a turf war with that other organization, to include coordinated shootings in rival gang territory using automatic weapons and squad-like tactics, killing both intended and unintended victims.

It is alleged that members of Los Vira’o carried out violent carjackings using firearms to acquire vehicles to use in murders and other criminal acts. They would refer to those stolen cars as units, and those cars were generally forbidden from being stored inside the PHPs. After use in a murder or other criminal act, gang members would burn the cars or sell them.

The investigation revealed that during the conspiracy the defendants and their co-conspirators created a music label and produced music and music videos with lyrics describing specific gang activity, real coconspirators, and real criminal events. Music videos of Los Vira’o feature real firearms brandished in the videos.

The defendants acted in different roles to further the goals of the drug trafficking conspiracy, including as leaders, enforcers, runners, sellers, facilitators, and lookouts. Twenty-seven (27) defendants are facing one charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and 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] Efraín A. Planell-Pérez, a.k.a. “Gordo Billar/Billar/Simba/Simbad/el Ocho”

[2] David González-Olmo, a.k.a. “Cagüita”

[3] Eliezer Rivera-Otero, a.k.a. “Tiki/Tiky”

[4] Luis D. Maldonado-Berríos, a.k.a. “Guinea/La G”

[5] Miguel Y. Fuentes-Oquendo, a.k.a. “Barba”

[6] José M. Rivera-Fuentes, a.k.a. “Che/Cheque”

[7] Edgar Antonio Santiago-Vázquez, a.k.a. “Mili/Militar”

[8] Julio A. Torres-Roche, a.k.a. “Doctor”

[9] José David Serrano-Santiago, a.k.a. “Hacha Vieja”

[10] Kris L. Vega-González, a.k.a. “Yandel/Kris Llandel”

[11] Miguel A. Olmo-Garcia, a.k.a. “Mine/Bolillo”

[12] Yandel O. Bermejo-Rodríguez

[13] Jouseph De Jesús-Reyes, a.k.a. “Boti”

[14] Juan A. Flores-Lebrón, a.k.a. “Juanki”

[15] Noel Nieves-Lora, a.k.a. “Bulin”

[16] Cristopher Colón-Viera, a.k.a. “Topher”

[17] Joseph A. Torres-Quesada, a.k.a. “Mueca”

[18] Zael Y. Lao-Ortiz, a.k.a. “Vieques”

[19] Jay L. Diaz-Del Valle, a.k.a. “Jay Livan/El Cantante”

[20] Héctor M. Cruz-Ayala, a.k.a. “Gordo Gordo/Gordo Chiquito”

[21] Jeremy Ortiz-Díaz, a.k.a. “Millo”

[22] Victor M. Cruz-Ortiz, a.k.a. “Papa/El Father”

[23] Carlos A. Arroyo-Santel, a.k.a. “Rata/R”

[24] Adrián J. Miranda-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Pilo/Pilotito”

[25] Rubén M. Torres-Reyes

[26] Luis Y. León-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Ika”

[27] Kevin M. Torres-Rivera, a.k.a. “Kevo”

[28] Edgardo Ortiz-Figueroa, a.k.a. “Pucho”

[29] Michael A. Santiago-Cruz, a.k.a. “Colo/Colorao”

[30] Christopher J. Nieves-Pérez, a.k.a. “Chucho”

[31] José G. Jiménez-Robles, a.k.a. “Joy”

[32] Christopher J. Fontanez-Vega, a.k.a. “Lagarto”

[33] Endel Gabriel Vidal-Malavé

[34] Bryan L. Montalvo-Colón, a.k.a. “Yambra”

[35] Luis A. Trinidad-González, a.k.a. “Chivito”

[36] Mariela E. Santiago-Cuevas

[37] José Orlando Ortiz-Martínez, a.k.a. “Champu de Coco/Vizco”

[38] Kenneth O. Claudio-Vega, a.k.a. “Kenny”

[39] Jonathan A. Ortiz-Martínez, a.k.a. “Cocodrilo/Orejas”

[40] Joseph Vicente-Vázquez, a.k.a. “Joe Cantera”

[41] Alejandro M. Tarafa-Fortuño, a.k.a. “Zombie”

[42] Rosemary Santiago-Serrano

[43] Paola M. Rodríguez-Morales

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 R. Vance Eaton, and AUSA Andrés Orr 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 $9,362,160.

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.

###

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On September 17, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Jan Robert Ayala De Jesús, a 27-year-old man from Humacao, Puerto Rico, with criminal charges related to child exploitation, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. Today, FBI special agents arrested Ayala De Jesús.

According to court documents, on or about December 18, 2024, defendant Jan Robert Ayala De Jesús knowingly transported a 13-year-old female minor with the intent that the minor engage in sexual activity, for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense under the laws of the United States of America and Puerto Rico, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(a).

“Our dedicated team of prosecutors, victim witness specialists, and support personnel will continue to work with our equally-dedicated law enforcement partners to combat child exploitation and to bring these offenders to justice,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “This type of exploitation of children has no place in civilized society.”

“Protecting children from exploitation is one of the FBI’s most urgent priorities,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “Our work does not end with this arrest. We remain focused on identifying every victim and making sure every predator faces the full weight of the justice system.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daynelle Álvarez-Lora of the Crimes Against Children, Human Trafficking and Immigration Unit, is prosecuting the case. 

If convicted for the charge of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity the defendant faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life in prison, to be followed by a term of supervised release after imprisonment of no less than 5 years up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Tips and information assist the FBI and its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute crimes. Citizens with information about child exploitation crimes or any other federal crime are asked to contact the FBI San Juan Field Office at 787-987-6500, or to submit tips through the FBI’s internet complaint portal at Tips.FBI.gov.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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

###

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Carlos Manuel Collazo-Pérez, a 75-year-old man from Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, was arrested on criminal charges related to child exploitation, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. Today, Homeland Security Investigations special agents arrested Collazo-Pérez.

According to court documents, on or about September 15, 2024, Carlos Manuel Collazo-Pérez attempted to employ, use, persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a six-year-old female minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child exploitation material.

Moreover, from March 2021 through August 2025, the defendant knowingly transported images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct via the internet using a computer and knowingly possessed and accessed with intent to view digital videos and images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct saved on the defendant’s laptop, cellular phone, and other electronic devices.

Collazo-Pérez is facing one count of attempted sexual exploitation of children; one count for transportation of child exploitation material; and one count of possession of child exploitation material.

“The Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners will aggressively investigate and prosecute those criminals who seek to exploit and harm children,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “I thank the dedicated HSI agents and prosecutors who investigated and charged this case for their tireless efforts to protect the most vulnerable in our community. This type of exploitation of children has no place in civilized society.”

“In the last thirty days, HSI has arrested four individuals on child exploitation charges. This is an alarming number; this individual has an extensive collection of child sexual abuse material that is appalling. Child predators have no age limit, no profile, this 75-year-old man hid behind the trust of his community while gathering an extensive collection of child sexual abuse material. Crimes like these inflict lasting harm, not only on the victims but also on the hearts of our neighborhoods. His age gave the communities a false sense of security. We will never allow age, status, or circumstances to shield predators from accountability. Our mission is clear, to protect children and bring every offender to justice,” said Rebecca González-Ramos, Special Agent in Charge, HSI San Juan (Puerto Rico & U.S. Virgin Islands).

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daynelle Álvarez-Lora of the Crimes Against Children, Human Trafficking and Immigration Unit, is prosecuting the case. The Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force led by HSI is in charge of the investigation.

If convicted for the charges the defendant faces the following penalties: (1) attempted sexual exploitation of a minor – a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years; (2) transportation of child exploitation material - a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; and  (3) possession of child exploitation material - a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.  All charges of conviction are to be followed by a term of supervised release after imprisonment of no less than 5 years up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit Know2Protect.gov. To report suspicious activities, call 787-729-6969 or send an email to IntelHSISanJuan@hsi.dhs.gov.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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

###

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Today, United States District Court Judge Silvia Carreño Coll sentenced Dalien Enrique Nieves-Santiago to seven years in prison and five years of supervised release for possession of a pill press die or set used to manufacture counterfeit pills, drug trafficking, and firearms violations. His wife, Zuleyka M. Santiago-Andino also pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and possession of a pill press die and will be sentenced at a later date. Nieves-Santiago, 38, and Santiago-Andino, 35, from Naranjito, PR, were charged in a superseding indictment on December 6, 2023, and pleaded guilty on June 5, 2025.

According to court documents, Dalien Enrique Nieves-Santiago pled guilty pursuant to a plea agreement to: (Count 1) possession of a punch and die set; (Count 2) conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl; and (Count 5) possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

On April 14, 2023, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers in San Juan, Puerto Rico encountered a UPS package while conducting inspections of inbound parcels that were subject to routine border search as they entered the United States. The package, shipped from an address in China, was addressed to defendant Zuleyka M. Santiago-Andino. After an import cargo database search based on the address selector, international shipments records indicated that she received a total of twenty-three (23) shipments between July 3, 2018, and April 8, 2023, at their address in Naranjito, Puerto Rico. All 23 shipments originated from China.

Upon further inspection, CBP Officers discovered a “pill die” set inside the package. A “pill die” is used with a pill press to cut and mark narcotic tablets and other such controlled substances in a pill or tablet form and used in the furtherance of manufacturing and distribution of controlled substances including, but not limited to, pills such as Oxycodone. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Juan Agents assigned to the AirTAT agreed to take custody of the pill die, in order to conduct a controlled delivery.

The above-mentioned pill die displays the mark “M” and “30”. “30” is an imprint pressed on to Oxycodone Hydrochloride tablets. HSI and DEA agents executed a court authorized search warrant. Among the items seized in the residence included approximately 2 kilograms of a blue colored bonding agent, approximately 302 grams of Xanax pills and a small scale.

HSI agents also recovered two firearms: a 9 mm Smith & Wesson pistol, one 9 mm magazine and eleven (11) 9 mm rounds of ammunition; and a loaded .40 caliber Glock pistol, three (3) .40 caliber magazines, and twelve (12) .40 caliber rounds of ammunition next to 1,037 Xanax pills.

A laboratory analysis concluded that a total net weight of 286.51 grams from the 1,037 white rectangular pills with “Xanax” imprinted on one side and “2” on the other side. The substances identified in the pills were fentanyl. A total net weight of 1,921.15 grams of the blue bonding agent typically used to manufacture Oxycodone Hydrochloride tablets with the use of a pill die.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, and the Drug Enforcement Administration were in charge of the investigationand their respective Airport Investigations and Tactical Teams (AirTAT).

Assistant United States Attorney Luis A. Valentin from the Asset Recovery, Money Laundering and Transnational Organized Crime Unit prosecuted the case.

###

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — On September 10, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Julio Figueroa-Álvarez, a 32-year-old man from Toa Baja with sex trafficking of children and coercion and enticement of a minor. The defendant was arrested today by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents.

“Predators who target and coerce the vulnerable in our jurisdiction will face appropriately serious sanctions under federal law. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to seek justice to vindicate the rights of human trafficking victims,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting victims and ensuring that those responsible for such vicious crimes face the full weight of the law.”

“This individual, a registered sex offender, was arrested in 2014 on charges of sexual exploitation of minors and convicted in 2016 to serve a ten-year sentence. HSI is now arresting him for the second time in less than ten years following his conviction. Child predators remain determined to exploit minors, but we are equally determined to stop them and bring them to justice,” said Rebecca González-Ramos, HSI San Juan’s Special Agent in Charge. “We urge the community to take action before law enforcement becomes involved. Protecting our children requires vigilance and cooperation. Be alert and proactive; engaging in sexual acts with a minor is illegal, and when such heinous acts are committed in exchange for something of value, it constitutes a federal crime. Sex trafficking is real; it’s happening in our island too often. HSI is determined to hold accountable those who believe they can operate above the law; we will arrest them as many times as necessary. Help us keep our children safe and protected.”

According to court documents, between December 2024 and February 2025, Julio Figueroa-Álvarez knowingly and willfully recruited, enticed, transported, and maintained a 13-year-old male minor to engage in a commercial sex act. Figueroa-Álvarez is also accused with using a cellular phone, internet instant messaging services, and social media to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a 13-year-old male minor to engage in prostitution or any sexual activity. 

If convicted for the charges, the defendant faces the following penalties: sex trafficking of a child - a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years up to life in prison; and coercion and enticement of a minor - a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life in prison.  All charges of conviction would to be followed by a term of supervised release after imprisonment of no less than 5 years up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

HSI San Juan is leading the investigation into this case, with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daynelle Álvarez Lora, from the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit, is prosecuting the case.

For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit Know2Protect.gov. To report suspicious activities, call 787-729-6969 or send an email to IntelHSISanJuan@hsi.dhs.gov.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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

###

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On September 3, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 49 violent gang members from the municipality of Bayamón 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 the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Puerto Rico Police Bayamón Strike Force, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), with the collaboration of the U.S.  Marshals Service, the Bayamón Municipal Police, the Guaynabo Municipal Police, and Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (CBP AMO).

“Today is the anniversary of 9/11 – the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil that took nearly 3,000 innocent lives. After the attack, Americans came together in unity, resolve, and determination to confront those who sought to harm us.Today, we face another threat to our communities – one that comes to use from criminal cartels – now rightly designated as foreign terrorist organizations – flooding our streets with fentanyl, other deadly drugs, and violence. In recent years, overdose deaths, mostly from fentanyl, have averaged over 100,000 per year. Just as 9/11 demanded a national response, the toll of gang violence and drug trafficking in our communities demands action and unity,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “The Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners, including those who participated in this morning’s operation, are responding and taking action to make our communities and our streets safer. We are unified and our resolve is firm.”

“This investigation, which falls directly under the Attorney General’s “Commitment to Targeting Violent Crime” is an example of how working together with our federal, state, and local partners creates an outcome that is positive for the community,” said Gordon Mallory, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives, Miami Field Division. “The men and women of ATF continuously strive to take the necessary measures to fight violent crime to include the illegal use and possession of firearms. Because of the hard work of these individuals, the residents of this community can take their neighborhood(s) back.”

The indictment alleges that from 2019 through the present, the defendants worked as part of a drug trafficking organization known as “Bin Laden Records” that distributed illegal drugs for significant financial gain and profit -- including heroin, cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”), cocaine, marihuana, fentanyl, Oxycodone (commonly known as Percocet), and Alprazolam (commonly known as Xanax) – all within 1,000 feet of the Virgilio Dávila Public Housing Project (PHP), and within 1,000 feet of a public or private school and/or playground.

The charging documents further allege that when the members of the gang perceived threats to the organization and/or its members, they incurred in violent acts, including, but not limited to, murder to protect themselves and their organization.  They also transported, distributed, and profited from the distribution of kilogram quantities of cocaine into the continental United States. The defendants also engaged in the trafficking of illegal firearms and ammunitions. As part of the operations of the drug points, the defendants and co-conspirators would obstruct and delay the work of law enforcement agents by obstructing the main entrance of the Virgilio Dávila PHP with shopping carts.

The defendants acted in different roles to further the goals of the drug trafficking conspiracy, including acting as leaders, drug point owners, enforcers, runners, sellers, lookouts, and facilitators. The defendants charged in the indictment are:

[1] Jonathan Berríos Rojas, a.k.a. “Manita”

[2] Adalberto Rivera Robles, a.k.a. “Batata/Bata/Gordo/B”

[3] Jonathan Bermúdez Valdés, a.k.a. “Valdes/V”

[4] Jovany Rivera Robles, a.k.a. “Wiliador 1”

[5] Raymond Sánchez Santiago, a.k.a. “Churrun/Peca”

[6] Luis Ramos Oyola, a.k.a. “Homero/Father/Gordo”

[7] Brian Rivera Robles, a.k.a. “Calva/Calvita/Carba/Calvi”

[8] Joseph Siraguza De Jesús, a.k.a. “Joker”

[9] Oscar Rosa Marrero, a.k.a. “Josky/Oski”

[10] Edgar Joel Figueroa Rondón, a.k.a. “Chencho/Edgar”

[11] José Romero Rivera, a.k.a. “Chaleco/Chale/Ñeco/Wiliador 3/Ñecombel”

[12] John Michael Díaz Díaz, a.k.a. “Oxy”

[13] Roberto Hernández Pacheco, a.k.a. “Chino/Pri”

[14] Jonathan De Jesús Bonilla, a.k.a. “Abuelito”

[15] Ángel Gabriel Mojica Valdés, a.k.a. “Tazmania”

[16] Ardwin Fuentes Rojas, a.k.a. “Bartolo/Barto”

[17] Raúl González Santiago, a.k.a. “Mambru”

[18] Luis Esteban Rivera Pérez, a.k.a. “Teta”

[19] José Rivera Nazario, a.k.a. “Jose”

[20] Carlos Victor Ruiz Jiménez, a.k.a. “Bimbo/Bin-B”

[21] Carlos Javier Reyes Núñez, a.k.a. “Dutty/Duty”

[22] Ricardo Rivera Figueroa, a.k.a. “El Viejo”

[23] Ricardo Rivera González, a.k.a. “Ricky/Kiki”

[24] Geraldino Castillo Genao, a.k.a. “El Domi”

[25] Suriel Rivera González

[26] Wilfredo Jesiel Barros Robles, a.k.a. “Wiliador 2/Wilo”

[27] Ángel Ocasio Cancel, a.k.a. “Garabato”

[28] Michael Paredes Tollinchi, a.k.a. “Tonka/Tractor”

[29] William Nieves Díaz, a.k.a. “Willy”

[30] Yeriel Dávila Cosme, a.k.a. “Yiyo/Guillo”

[31] Luis A. Malpica Negrón, a.k.a. “Malpi”

[32] Cristian Reyes Bonilla, a.k.a. “Bebo Magali”

[33] Wesley De Jesús Serrano, a.k.a. “Boss”

[34] Jomar Vélez Bermúdez, a.k.a. “Borra”

[35] Kevin O’neill Rodríguez Rosa

[36] Kiven J. Rodríguez Rosa, a.k.a. “Boli”

[37] Josué Raúl Cantres Ríos, a.k.a. “Bolita”

[38] Rafael González Lastra, a.k.a. “Rafy/Rafi”

[39] Efraín Ramírez Cortés, a.k.a. “Banano”

[40] Orlando Dávila Bonilla, a.k.a. “Alex Magaly”

[41] Christian J. Rivera Maldonado, a.k.a. “Plo Plo”

[42] Christian Malpica Sánchez

[43] Carlos Javier Vázquez Rodríguez, a.k.a. “El Javi/Javi”

[44] Luis Cartagena Cabezudo, a.k.a. “Nenguito”

[45] Edwin Rivera Román, a.k.a. “Zuldo”

[46] Rodney Alexis Maldonado Marquez, a.k.a. “Ronni”

[47] Joel Manuel Vélez Bally

[48]Arnaldo Rivera Rondón, a.k.a. “Nandy”

[49] Taina Michelle Colón De Jesús, a.k.a. “Griselda”

Sixteen of the above-listed defendants also face one charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and five of those defendants are facing one count of possession of a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Upon conviction, all defendants are subject to a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $50,735,000.

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 Andrés Orr Sevilla, and Puerto Rico Department of Justice Special AUSA Javier Rivera Rivera, are in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted on the drug trafficking charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years to life in prison. If convicted of both the drug trafficking and the firearms charges in Count Seven, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years 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.

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.

###

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On August 27, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 14 gang members from the municipality of Arroyo with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB) Guayama Strike Force were in charge of the investigation of the case. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Response Team (SRT) collaborated during the arrests.

“These arrests show the relentless determination of the United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to hold accountable criminal enterprises that use violence and intimidation to control drug territory,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “We will continue to dismantle violent gangs and make our communities safer.”

“The FBI will not allow violent gangs to dictate the quality of life or diminish hope for the people of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “Our office, together with our partners, will continue to dismantle criminal organizations fueling terror in our streets. The deliberate efforts of thugs to destroy prosperity will be met with the FBI’s relentless efforts to crush violent crime and defend the homeland.”

The indictment alleges that from 2020 through the present, the drug trafficking organization distributed cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”), cocaine, fentanyl or a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of any analogue of fentanyl, and marihuana within 1,000 feet of the Isidro Cora Public Housing Project (PHP), and other areas nearby the municipality of Arroyo, all for significant financial gain and profit.

As part of the conspiracy, the defendants established a drug distribution point operating within three apartments inside the Isidro Cora PHP, and that sellers would sell drugs through a window or balcony to avoid being seen and/or detected by law enforcement. Some of the defendants and their co-conspirators mixed fentanyl into the cocaine to be sold at the drug points as well as mixing xylazine with the fentanyl – a deadly combination. Court documents also reflect at least two overdose deaths of drug customers within the Isidro Cora PHP.

The defendants acted in different roles to further the goals of the drug trafficking conspiracy, to include: leaders, runners, sellers, and facilitators. The members of the gang used force, violence, and intimidation to threaten rival drug trafficking organizations, and to discipline members of their own organization, to include giving beatings to other co-conspirators and residents of the housing projects, with different weapons, including horse whips, as a disciplinary measure if they stepped out of line.

The defendants charged in the drug trafficking conspiracy are:

[1] Eduardo Contreras-Hernández, a.k.a. “Eddie/Paleta/Tipo/Paletita”

[2] Juan Carlos Soto-Santos, a.k.a. “Juanka”

[3] Jeremy E. Rodríguez-Cruz, a.k.a. “Gordo/Arabe”

[4] Edwin García-González, a.k.a. “Tabaco”

[5] José A. Torres-Figueroa, a.k.a. “Cholo”

[6] José A. Ruiz-Morales, a.k.a. “Shano”

[7] Yenaritza N. Escobar-Santiago, a.k.a. “Yuyo”

[8] Hermenegildo Ruiz-Robledo

[9] Mónica González-Rivera

[10] Savon Lee-Ewin, a.k.a. “Gringo”

[11] Joseph Rivera-Bustamante

[12] José Melendez-Pizarro, a.k.a. “Cabrilla”

[13] Victor Alexis Collazo-Bones, a.k.a. “Molle”

[14] Anyeli Andreina-Medina

Defendant [1] Eduardo Contreras-Hernández is also charged in Count Six with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. 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 Six, Contreras-Hernández faces a minimum sentence of 15 years, and up to life in prison. All defendants charged in the drug conspiracy are facing a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $2,850,900.

The FBI thanks the PRPB Guayama Strike Force for their assistance in this investigation. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort, Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney from the Puerto Rico Department of Justice Daphne M. Cordero-Guilloty are prosecuting the case.

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

###

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Joseph Cruz-Santiago, a 32-year-old man from Caguas, Puerto Rico, was arrested on criminal charges related to child exploitation, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. On September 2, 2025, Homeland Security Investigations special agents arrested Cruz-Santiago.

On August 28, 2025, a federal grand jury indicted Joseph Cruz-Santiago on charges involving the sexual exploitation and coercion and enticement of two female minors, receipt and possession of child exploitation material, and transfer of obscene material to a minor.

According to court documents, from December 2024 to February 2025, Cruz-Santiago used a cellphone, online instant messaging services, and social media to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, and coerce an 11-year-old female minor and an 11 to 12-year-old female minor to engage in sexual activity. The defendant produced sexually explicit images of such conduct. Cruz-Santiago is also facing charges for the receipt of child exploitation material and for using the internet to knowingly transfer obscene material to both female minor victims.

Additionally, from on or about July 13, 2024, through on or about July 2, 2025, Cruz-Santiago knowingly possessed and accessed with intent to view images of child pornography, including child pornography of a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained 12 years of age.

“There’s no greater priority than safeguarding our children from those who seek to exploit or harm them,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prioritize the prosecution of child sexual predators. We will not rest until those who commit these heinous crimes are brought to justice.”

Rebecca González-Ramos, HSI San Juan’s Special Agent in Charge said: “Child predators will find endless ways to manipulate their victims as part of their ill behavior. It’s important that we understand the mechanisms they are using and the risks our children have online. Parents and trusted adults must commit to educate themselves about potential threats and the latest online platforms to protect our children from sexual exploitation. Let’s all together take a Pledge to Protect.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Emelina M. Agrait-Barreto of the Crimes Against Children, Human Trafficking and Immigration Unit, is prosecuting the case. The Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force led by HSI is in charge of the investigation.

If convicted for the charges the defendant faces the following penalties: (1) sexual exploitation of a minor – a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years; (2) coercion and enticement of a minor - a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life in prison; (3) receipt of child exploitation material - a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; (4) possession of child exploitation material - a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years; and (5) transfer of obscene material to a minor – up to 10 years in prison.  All charges of conviction are to be followed by a term of supervised release after imprisonment of no less than 5 years up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit Know2Protect.gov. To report suspicious activities, call 787-729-6969 or send an email to IntelHSISanJuan@hsi.dhs.gov.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On August 28, 2025, A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a three count indictment charging Felix Ebdiel Muñiz-Rivera, age 20, of Camuy, PR, for production and possession of child exploitation material. HSI special agents arrested Muñiz- Rivera yesterday, August 29, 2025.

According to court documents, from June 2025, through on or about August 2025, Felix Ebdiel Muñiz- Rivera, did knowingly employ, use, persuade, induce, entice, and coerce two five year old female minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct, and the visual depiction was produced and transmitted using materials that have been mailed, shipped, and transported in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce, that is, a cellular phone device. From June 2025, through on or about August 2025, the defendant possessed images of child pornography.

Felix Ebdiel Muñiz- Rivera is facing two counts of production of child exploitation material and one count for possession of child exploitation material.

The defendant had his initial court appearance on August 29, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Giselle López-Soler of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. The detention/bail hearing is scheduled for September 4, 2025, at 11:00 AM. If convicted for the charges of sexual exploitation of children the defendant faces no less than 15 years up to 30 years in prison; and for possession of child exploitation material, he faces up to 10 years in prison; all counts followed by a term of supervised release of no less than 5 years up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

"We remain committed to identifying and pursuing individuals involved in child exploitation and will ensure they face justice for their criminal actions," stated W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. "The U.S. Attorney’s Office will relentlessly work to safeguard those most at risk by vigorously prosecuting anyone who targets our children."

"The production of Child Pornography is considered a violent crime because of its severity and the impact of these acts to the victims.” stated Rebecca C. González-Ramos, Special Agent in Charge from the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. “HSI has a strong commitment with our children, to protect them, but most importantly to give them the right tools to avoid and report these crimes. We need the community to join us in this fight, let’s protect our children together. Make a pledge to protect our minors at Know2Protect.gov”

Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Elba Gorbea of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit prosecuted the case.

For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit https://www.ice.gov/about-ice/hsi/iguardian; and to denounce suspicious activities call 787-729-6969.

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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A federal jury in Puerto Rico yesterday convicted a fifth individual for conspiracy to launder funds in connection with multiple wide-ranging wire, mail, and access device fraud schemes.

Oluwasegun Baiyewu was convicted of a money laundering conspiracy following a 22-day trial in San Juan. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Oluwaseun Adelekan 40, and Temitope Omotayo, 40, both of Staten Island, New York; Ifeoluwa Dudubo, 37, of Austin, Texas; and Temitope Suleiman, 37, and Oluwasegun Baiyewu, 37, of Richmond, Texas, conspired to launder funds from different international organized fraud schemes, including romance, pandemic relief unemployment insurance fraud, and business email compromise scams. These fraud schemes disproportionately impacted elderly or otherwise vulnerable Americans.

“The Department of Justice will continue to identify and prosecute the fraudsters who design complex fraud schemes and the launderers that receive victim proceeds and make sure the crimes are profitable,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This conviction is a message to the transnational organized crime groups and their accomplices who take advantage of our open financial system: you cannot victimize Americans with impunity.”

“The defendant participated in a money laundering scheme turning illicit gains into a facade of legitimacy, especially those involving seniors or other vulnerable people, and businesses in Puerto Rico and the United States,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico. “The United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners commitment to investigate criminals who steal money sends a clear message: justice will prevail, and those who exploit others for personal gain will be held accountable. We thank all our partners who assisted in this prosecution.”

“The FBI is committed to taking down the key service providers that support cyber scammers and transnational organized crime,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “This conviction is a reminder of the durable impact we are having in targeting the entire cybercriminal ecosystem, which is made possible by working in tandem with partners who have unique authorities and capabilities.”

“The criminals involved in this scheme thought there was safety in numbers, but the U.S. Postal Inspection Service doesn’t stop until everyone involved in schemes that target older Americans is brought to justice,” said Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Boston Division. “The defendants lined their pockets by defrauding vulnerable members of our society through various schemes designed to entice their victims to give up their hard-earned cash. This conviction is proof that anyone involved with transnational crimes will be tracked down, exposed, and made to face the consequences.”

A superseding indictment against the five defendants alleged that in 2020 and 2021, the defendants worked together to profit from efforts to “clean” money from scams involving victims, many of whom were older adults, in California, Illinois, Washington, and Nevada, and business email compromise schemes affecting victim companies in Puerto Rico and Missouri. After receiving the proceeds, according to the indictment, the defendants or their co-conspirators conducted hundreds of transactions with the funds to, among other things, purchase used cars that were shipped overseas to Nigeria.

The defendants will be sentenced before the Honorable Raúl M. Arias-Marxuach for the District of Puerto Rico.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and FBI San Juan Cyber Task Force are investigating this case, with assistance from the National Unemployment Insurance Fraud Task Force supporting the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force teams.

Trial Attorneys Emily C. Powers and Richard S. Greene IV of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Linet Olinghouse for the District of Puerto Rico are prosecuting the case.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.

More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints can be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Today, United States District Court Judge María Antongiorgi-Jordan sentenced Lionel Albino Galindo to 360 months (30 years) in prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, for child exploitation. Albino Galindo, 53, of Vega Alta, PR, was indicted on April 19, 2024, and convicted on six counts of child exploitation on March 11, 2025, after a five‑day jury trial. The jury found Lionel Albino Galindo guilty of one count of coercion and enticement of a minor; one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity; one count of sexual exploitation of children; one count for receipt of child pornography; one count for possession of child pornography; and one count of transfer of obscene material to a minor.

The charging documents alleged that Lionel Albino Galindo sexually exploited a 13-year-old female minor from February 2024 throughout March 19, 2024. During trial, the government presented evidence that proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Albino Galindo knowingly transported the female minor to engage in sexual activity on several occasions and produced visual depictions of such conduct. The evidence also proved the defendant received child pornography from the female minor and sent obscene material to the minor. In perpetrating his crimes, the defendant used a cellular phone as well as internet instant messaging services, to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, and coerce the 13-year-old female minor, to engage in sexual activity, which includes the production of child pornography.

U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI investigated the case with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.

Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Jenifer Y. Hernández Vega, Chief of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit and AUSA Emelina Agrait Barreto prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On July 15, 2025, United States District Court Senior Judge Francisco A. Besosa sentenced Domingo Acosta to 222 months and 14 days in prison and 5 years of supervised release for the importation of more than 850 kilograms of cocaine on April 12, 2022. According to court documents, Domingo Acosta pled guilty pursuant to a plea agreement to: (1) conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, from Colombia, the Dominican Republic and elsewhere; and (2) possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

As part of the conspiracy, the defendant possessed firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking activities.  On October 7, 2022, federal agents searched a property used by the defendant and seized the following electronic devices, handguns, magazines, and ammunition: (1) a Glock model G23, (2) a Glock model 19, (3) 2 Glock .40 caliber magazines, (4) 2 Glock 9mm magazines, (5) 38 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition, (6) 42 rounds of 9mm ammunition, (7) 2 Garmin GPS units, and (8) a handheld radio ICOM. The defendant also has a prior felony conviction for immigration offenses.

The DEA HIDTA Fajardo TFGII/Maritime Program led the investigation. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organization (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The Homeland Security Task Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side by side in the same location, assisted in the prosecution of this case.

Assistant United States Attorney Antonio J. López-Rivera from the Asset Recovery, Money Laundering and Transnational Organized Crime Unit prosecuted the case.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On July 17, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging eight individuals with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and five of those defendants with kidnapping, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico and Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office.

The eight defendants are: Bryan Martínez-Albizu, FNU / LNU #1, FNU / LNU #2 (a/k/a Richard), FNU / LNU #3 (a/k/a Rochi), FNU / LNU #4, FNU / LNU #5, Santiago Nieves-Hernández, and Yoel Gómez-Gómez. A copy of the indictment is attached and the indictment includes photographs of the FNU / LNU (First Name Unknown / Last Name Unknown) defendants.

As alleged in the indictment, beginning on or about May 20, 2025, and continuing to on or about May 24, 2025, in the District of Puerto Rico, the defendants, knowingly and intentionally combined, conspired, confederated and agreed together and with each other, and with other persons known and unknown to the Grand Jury, to commit the following offense against the United States: to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine.

Furthermore, on or about May 21, 2025, the defendants, FNU / LNU #1, FNU / LNU #2 (a/k/a Richard), FNU / LNU #3 (a/k/a Rochi), FNU / LNU #4, and FNU / LNU #5, aiding and abetting each other and others, did unlawfully and willfully seize, confine, kidnap and abduct, and otherwise hold, S.N.H. and Y.G.G. for ransom. In committing and in furtherance of the commission of the kidnapping, the defendants used a means, facility, and instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce, namely a Toyota RAV4, a Nissan SUV, and cellular telephones.

“These defendants will be brought to justice through the hard work of federal and state law enforcement agents and our prosecutors,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow. “The actions by those drug traffickers involved in the kidnapping and brutal torture of the kidnapped victims have no place in civilized society and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Our office and law enforcement partners rely on those in our community who are willing to assist in making our streets safer. Anyone with information regarding the defendants charged in this case should contact the FBI.”

“This case shows the brutal violence that thrives in criminal networks—and how far they’ll go to harm even their own. What started as a failed drug deal became a gruesome kidnapping,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “Whatever the threat, the FBI responds with urgency because every life matters. I’m proud of the brave agents who risked their lives and the investigative team who unraveled this case. Let this be a warning to the thugs: the FBI won’t be fooled, and we’ll use every resource to dismantle you and your crew. Operation Summer Heat should’ve made that clear. If it didn’t—here’s your reminder: If you terrorize our communities or think you can outsmart justice, you’re wrong. We’re coming.”

If convicted on the drug conspiracy charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of five years in prison, and a maximum sentence of forty years in prison. Those defendants charged with kidnapping face a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Julian Radzinschi of the Violent Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution of the case.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is in charge of the investigation with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.

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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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Raúl D. Villalobos-Meléndez pleaded guilty today to making false statements and representations to an agency of the United States in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2).

According to the Information, Raúl D. Villalobos-Meléndez, 36, of San Juan, knowingly falsified and forged documents and made materially false statements to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) representing himself to be a licensed physician. CMS is a federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services that administers the Medicare and Medicaid program.

In truth, Raúl D. Villalobos-Meléndez has never been licensed to practice medicine in Puerto Rico or any part of the United States. 

Although Villalobos-Meléndez graduated as a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Science Arts and Technology-Monserrat College of Medicine on June 16, 2018, he never successfully passed the required United States Medical License Examination (USMLE). Instead, Villalobos-Meléndez obtained a Physician Assistant license in Puerto Rico on April 7, 2021, which permitted him to serve only as a physician assistant. The defendant then altered his Physician Assistant license documents to fraudulently submit them as a Provisional Medical License and a Permanent Medical License.

In 2023, Villalobos-Meléndez submitted a fraudulent application for a position in the Post-Graduate Medical Education Internship Program at Hospital del Maestro in San Juan, PR. As part of the documentation submitted with his application to the Hospital del Maestro, the defendant included a forged Provisional License Registry Certification, allegedly issued by the Puerto Rico Medical Discipline and Licensing Board (in Spanish, Junta de Licenciamiento y Disciplina Médica de Puerto Rico, abbreviated “JLDM”) and forged USMLE score reports falsely indicating that he had passed all three Steps.  In truth, Villalobos-Meléndez had failed the USMLE on multiple occasions and did not possess a Provisional Medical License.

Despite having no license to practice medicine in Puerto Rico, Raúl D. Villalobos-Meléndez received a salary to practice as a physician in the Transitional Internship program at the Hospital del Maestro in San Juan, Puerto Rico from June 1, 2023 to May 31, 2024.

On September 27, 2024, Villalobos-Meléndez knowingly submitted false information on a CMS-855I form to CMS when requesting enrollment as a physician practitioner and to become a Medicare provider. The defendant knowingly and fraudulently listed as active license information the false Puerto Rico medical license number “166037,” with an effective date of August 30, 2024, and designated his specialty as “General Practitioner.” Moreover, the defendant reassigned his benefits to the organization/group named Physician HMO. The president for Physician HMO signed, under penalty of perjury, accepting the reassignment of Medicare benefits for the defendant.

“The defendant lied to Puerto Rican and federal agencies by falsifying his documents and pretending to be a certified physician. This poses a danger to those who seek health care from medical professionals,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “Along with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to investigate and prosecute these types of fraud that put the health and safety of health care patients at risk.”

“This case underscores our commitment to protecting the integrity of our health care system and patient safety. Using a forged medical license and providing false statements to gain access to federal healthcare programs is a serious breach of public trust,” stated Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners will continue to work relentlessly to ensure those who deceive the system will face justice.”

“Falsifying medical credentials to infiltrate America’s healthcare systems is not only fraud—it places lives at risk, erodes public trust, and undermines the integrity of the noble medical profession,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's San Juan Field Office. “The FBI remains committed to protecting the integrity of our systems and holding accountable those who exploit it for personal gain. We will continue working closely with our partners to investigate and bring to justice individuals who threaten the wellbeing of our communities.”

Villalobos-Meléndez made his initial court appearance today at the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico where he waived indictment and pleaded guilty to a one-count Information before United States District Judge Silvia Carreño-Coll.  He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine not to exceed $250,000, and a term of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine his sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  The sentencing hearing has been scheduled for October 22, 2025, at 9:30 a.m.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are investigating the case as part of Caribbean HEAT – a Healthcare Enforcement and Accountability Task Force & Working Group formed in 2024 to investigate and prosecute violations of federal law related to health care fraud, harm to patients and consumers, and health care program waste, fraud, and abuse. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Puerto Rico Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the U.S. Marshals also collaborated during the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Wallace A. Bustelo from HHS-OIG is prosecuting the case.

To report fraud, waste or abuse related to health care matters, please contact HHS-OIG Hotline:

1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477) or https://tips.oig.hhs.gov

To file a voluntary self-disclosure related to health care matters, please access the link below:

https://oig.hhs.gov/compliance/self-disclosure-info/self-disclosure-protocol/

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned three separate indictments charging 17 individuals with drug trafficking through the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport. Two defendants are also charged with money laundering.

First Indictment

On June 26, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging three individuals with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine.

As alleged in the indictment, beginning on a date unknown, but not later than in or about 2023, to the date of the indictment,

[1] Kristian Yadiel Falcón-López

[2] Chazz David Carter-Justiniano

[3] Natalia Díaz-García

knowingly and intentionally conspired and agreed with each other and with other individuals to possess with intent to distribute and distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine through the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport.

Falcón-López and Charter-Justiniano are also charged with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments which involved the proceeds of their drug trafficking activities.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan R. McCabe and María Cristina Semanaz-Ojeda from the Transnational Organized Crime Section are in charge of the prosecution of the case.

Second Indictment

The second indictment charges the following individuals with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine through the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport:

[1] Jonathan Ramírez-Colón, a.k.a. “Momia”

[2] Ivelisse García-Osorio

[3] Stephanie L. Suárez-Vélez

[4] Francheska Muriel-Quintana

[5] Estephanie Torres-Bosa, a.k.a. “Fany”

[6] Charitty M. Hernández-Reyes

The alleged period of the conspiracy is from a date unknown, but no later than in or about 2018, to the date of the indictment. Documents filed in the case also allege that Defendant Ramírez-Colón recruited couriers (commonly known as “mules”) and sent them with cocaine-filled suitcases to be checked in at the airport and transported to the continental United States where the cocaine would be delivered to other persons.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio J. López-Rivera from the Transnational Organized Crime Section is in charge of the prosecution of the case.

Third Indictment

The third indictment unsealed today charges eight individuals with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine through the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport. Those defendants are:

[1] Sandy L. Guardiola-Bermúdez, a.k.a. “Guny/Mario”

[2] Carlos Alberto Cruz-Bonilla, a.k.a. “Huesito”

[3] Onix Negrón-Guerrido

[4] Jomar Maldonado-Ríos

[5] Tanyshkaliz Archilla-Rivera, a.k.a. “Tany”

[6] Yarauni Nieves-Rivera

[7] Yairaliz Arzuaga-Díaz

[8] Patricia Ayala-Otero

According to the indictment, the conspiracy began on a date unknown, but not later than in or about 2023 and lasted through the date of the indictment. Documents filed in the case allege that the defendants were part of a drug trafficking organization comprised of a network of recruiters, coordinators, and transporters who traveled from Puerto Rico to the continental United States via commercial flights with cocaine for wholesale distribution, all for significant financial gain.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio J. López-Rivera from the Transnational Organized Crime Section is in charge of the prosecution of the case.

“These drug trafficking organizations were using the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport to smuggle large quantities of cocaine from Puerto Rico to several destinations throughout the continental United States. Today, federal agencies dismantled these organizations by arresting leaders, organizers and travelers who made their distribution network possible,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow. “The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners in Puerto Rico and the Continental United States to gather the evidence necessary to bring the leaders and other members of these criminal organizations to justice.”

“These investigations demonstrate the DEA’s unwavering commitment to protecting our airports and the communities from the impact of drug trafficking. These criminal organizations believed they could operate with impunity out of Puerto Rico, but today, they are facing the swift hand of justice. I am deeply grateful for the tireless work of our agents, analysts, local and federal partners,” said Michael Miranda, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Agency Caribbean Division.

If convicted on the drug conspiracy charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Those defendants charged with money laundering face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is in charge of the investigations with the assistance of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Puerto Rico Police Bureau and their respective Airport Investigations and Tactical Teams (AirTAT). The San Juan Municipal Police, the Carolina Municipal Police and the Puerto Rico Department of Treasury also collaborated during the investigations and arrests.

AirTAT identifies, locates, disrupts, dismantles, and prosecutes transnational crime organizations using the airports in Puerto Rico to smuggle narcotics, weapons, human cargo, counterfeit documents, illegal proceeds, and other contraband.

These cases are 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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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On July 14, 2025, a Maryland man was sentenced to 90 months (seven years and six months) in prison for mail and wire fraud, falsification of bankruptcy records, and aggravated identity theft, in connection with his scheme to defraud twenty-eight federal bankruptcy courts, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.

Defendant Osakwe Ismael Osagbue was indicted on April 3, 2024, and plead guilty on February 19, 2025.

According to court documents, from 2022 through April 2024 Osagbue devised a scheme to obtain money under the custody of various United States Bankruptcy Courts by submitting false documents impersonating unsuspecting individuals and requesting the withdrawal of unclaimed funds. Osagbue used the Federal Judiciary’s Public Access to Court Electronic Records system (PACER) to search for and identify bankruptcy cases with unclaimed funds. Osagbue would then mail the corresponding bankruptcy court a fraudulent application for payment of unclaimed funds. These fraudulent applications contained the means of identification of real people, including names and social security numbers, and signatures.  The fraudulent applications sought payment to bank accounts controlled by Osagbue in the names of the individual victims. On occasion, Osagbue followed-up by sending e-mail communications to court personnel using fraudulent e-mail accounts in the names of the unsuspecting individual victims. Upon receipt of payment, Osagbue would withdraw funds from automatic teller machines (ATMs) and deposit cash into his own personal bank account in his true name.

As part of his scheme, Osagbue submitted applications for more than $1.8 million in unclaimed funds. The twenty-eight United States Bankruptcy Courts involved are as follows:

1.         The District of Puerto Rico;

2.         The Northern District of Alabama;

3.         The District of Arizona;

4.         The District of Colorado;

5.         The District of Connecticut;

6.         The District of Delaware;

7.         The Middle District of Florida;

8.         The District of Hawaii;

9.         The Northern District of Illinois;

10.       The Southern District of Indiana;

11.       The Eastern District of Kentucky;

12.       The Western District of Louisiana;

13.       The Eastern District of Michigan;

14.       The Southern District of Mississippi;

15.       The Eastern District of Missouri;

16.       The District of Montana;

17.       The District of Nevada;

18.       The District of New Jersey;

19.       The Eastern District of New York;

20.       The Eastern District of North Carolina;

21.       The Northern District of Ohio;

22.       The Southern District of Ohio.

23.       The Western District of Pennsylvania;

24.       The District of Rhode Island;

25.       The District of Utah;

26.       The Eastern District of Washington;

27.       The District of Washington D.C., and

28.        The Eastern District of Wisconsin

The United States Secret Service investigated this case in furtherance of its mission to combat cutting edge and complex financial crimes that pose a threat to the federal government and the nation’s economic security. The United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Puerto Rico (BCPR) reported the fraudulent scheme to federal authorities.

“This sentencing reflects the US Attorney’s Office ongoing commitment to prosecuting sophisticated fraudsters who abuse the system,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “Thanks to the relentless efforts of our multiagency partners, we will continue to aggressively pursue accountability for perpetrators whose actions impact the integrity of the United States courts and the integrity of the United States bankruptcy system.

“Filing fraudulent unclaimed funds requests strike at the integrity of the bankruptcy system.  This sentence will go a long way in protecting it,” said Monsita Lecaroz-Arribas, Assistant U.S. Trustee for the District of Puerto Rico.  “We are grateful to U.S. Attorney Muldrow and our law enforcement partners, such as the United States Secret Service, for their commitment to protect the interests of the bankruptcy process in Puerto Rico and nationwide. Together with them, we will continue to pursue fraud and abuse in bankruptcy cases here and across the country.”

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney José Capó-Iriarte and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney José Carlos Díaz-Vega from the United States Department of Justice, Office of the United States Trustee, San Juan field office, prosecuted the case.  The United States Trustee Program, through its Office of Criminal Enforcement provided assistance as part of their responsibilities of coordinating criminal enforcement activities in the investigation and prosecution of bankruptcy related crimes throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, with the mission to protect the nation’s bankruptcy system and to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of debtors, creditors, and the public.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On July 7, 2025, United States District Court Judge Aida Delgado-Colón sentenced Ángel Alexis Vázquez-Sánchez to 300 months (25 years) in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for child exploitation. Vázquez-Sánchez, 27, from Jayuya, PR, was indicted on March 5, 2024, and plead guilty on January 29, 2025.

According to court documents, from December 2021 throughout May 2023, Ángel Alexis Vázquez Sánchez sexually exploited four different minor females, between the ages of 12 and 16, with the intent that the minors engage in sexual activity, and to obtain sexually explicit images of the minors.

Ángel Alexis Vázquez Sánchez plead guilty to four counts of sexual exploitation of children. From December 2021 through May 2023, the defendant used his cellular device, social media, and communication platforms to communicate in a sexually explicit manner via text, still images, video and voice notes, with four female minors ranging from 12 to 16 years of age to employ, use, persuade, induce, entice and coerce the female minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct. The defendant solicited and received such images via his cellular device and requested that the female minors engage in sexual acts or sexual contact and produced the images and videos of the sexually explicit conduct of the minors.

The FBI investigated the case, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG) provided significant assistance during the ongoing investigation.

Assistant US Attorney Jenifer Y. Hernández-Vega, Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit Chief, prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Antonio Pizarro Adorno, a former Puerto Rico Special Investigations Bureau (“NIE” as known in Spanish) officer who was assigned to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (HSI), was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Camille Vélez-Rivé to 15 months in prison and three years of Supervised Release Term for corruptly concealing $170 during a law enforcement seizure.

On March 13, 2025, after a five-day jury trial, a federal jury convicted Antonio Pizarro Adorno. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on April 27, 2023, Pizarro Adorno, took $170 in cash seized by the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB), with the intent to impair its integrity and availability for use in an investigation being conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives related to drug trafficking in a community in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI made the announcement.

The FBI San Juan Field Office, Public Corruption Unit investigated the case, with the collaboration of the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie Christine Amy prosecuted the case.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — On July 10, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging a woman from Bayamón with sex trafficking of children. Lizamarie Rivera-García, 42, was arrested today by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents.

“These charges reflect the seriousness of the defendant’s conduct inflicted on her victims,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The sexual exploitation of children robs children of their freedom, dignity and sense of security. Such conduct is unacceptable in our society. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will use all the tools at our disposal to prosecute sex traffickers and to seek justice for the victims.”

“We cannot let our guard down! Our children are being sexually exploited by individuals in positions of public trust. Law enforcement agencies are committed to being the voice of these victims,” said Rebecca C. Gonzalez-Ramos, HSI San Juan’s Special Agent in Charge. “HSI’s multidisciplinary team will guarantee that our children receive the necessary assistance to overcome this trauma, and our agents will make sure that these individuals are arrested, away from causing more damage. A female religion teacher that had the responsibility to guiding our children about principles and beliefs was actually developing a plan to sexually assault them. HSI and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau are committed to protecting our children. We will not let these acts happen on our watch.”

According to court documents, between December 2023 and October 2024, Lizamarie Rivera-García knowingly and willfully recruited, enticed, transported, and maintained a 15-year-old male minor to engage in commercial sex acts. Rivera-García is also accused with knowingly employing, using, persuading, inducing, enticing, and coercing the same 15-year-old male minor to engage in sexual activity; transporting the male victim in a commonwealth, territory or possession of the United States, with intent that the male individual engage in any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense; and using internet instant messaging services and social media, to knowingly transfer and attempt to transfer obscene matter to an individual who had not attained the age of 16 years. 

In addition, from in or about December 2023 to November 2024, Rivera-García knowingly and willfully recruited, enticed, transported, and maintained a 17-year-old male minor to engage in commercial sex acts.

If convicted for the charges the defendant faces the following penalties: sex trafficking of a child -  a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years up to life in prison; transportation of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity -- a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life in prison; and coercion and enticement of a minor - a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life in prison.  All charges of conviction are to be followed by a term of supervised release after imprisonment of no less than 5 years up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

HSI San Juan is leading the investigation into this case, with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elba Gorbea, from the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit, is prosecuting the case.

For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit Know2Protect.gov. To report suspicious activities, call 787-729-6969 or send an email to IntelHSISanJuan@hsi.dhs.gov. Learn more about ICE HSI San Juan’s mission to increase public safety in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands on Instagram, Facebook, and X.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Aneudy Jazzan Pérez-Santiago, a 30-year-old teacher from Carolina, Puerto Rico, was arrested on criminal charges related to child exploitation, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. Today, Homeland Security Investigations special agents arrested Pérez-Santiago.

On July 10, 2025, a federal grand jury indicted Aneudy Jazzan Pérez-Santiago on charges involving the coercion and enticement of a minor, and transfer of obscene material to a 14-year-old female minor.

According to court documents, from February 2023 to February 2025, Pérez-Santiago used a cellphone, online instant messaging services, and social media to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a 14-year-old female minor to engage in sexual activity and transferred obscene material to her.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and prosecute anyone who exploits minors for sexual purposes,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “Those who prey on children will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Rebecca González-Ramos, HSI San Juan’s Special Agent in Charge said: “This case demonstrates the importance of adult supervision on digital devices. A responsible father monitoring social media platforms discovered the sexually explicit conversations between a teacher and its student. This individual that also calls himself a minister of a church, exploited his role as an educator and spiritual guide to approach a minor and engage in sexually explicit conversations. The defendant does not represent the amazing teachers of the Puerto Rico’s Department of Education who day to day, work with us to identify and report these predators. The perfect formula to protect our children is strong parental supervision, engaged personnel from the Puerto Rico’s Department of Education, and HSI’s Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force whose main mission is to keep our children safe from sexual predators.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daynelle Álvarez-Lora of the Crimes Against Children, Human Trafficking and Immigration Unit, is prosecuting the case. The Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force led by HSI is in charge of the investigation.

If convicted for the charges the defendant faces the following penalties: (1) coercion and enticement of a minor - a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life in prison; and (2) transfer of obscene material to a minor – up to 10 years in prison.  All charges of conviction are to be followed by a term of supervised release after imprisonment of no less than 5 years up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit Know2Protect.gov. To report suspicious activities, call 787-729-6969 or send an email to IntelHSISanJuan@hsi.dhs.gov.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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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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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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On July 2, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 16 violent gang members from the municipality of San Germán 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. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB) Ponce and Mayagüez Strike Force were in charge of the investigation of the case, with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The Guaynabo Municipal Police SRT collaborated during the arrests.

“As alleged in the indictment, the members of this drug trafficking organization conducted their criminal activities in the presence of minors, in complete disregard to the detriment of the children,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to protect our children, make Puerto Rico neighborhoods safe, and bring criminals to justice.”

“The FBI’s commitment to public safety is unwavering. I want to thank the men and women of the FBI, the United States Attorney’s Office, the Police of Puerto Rico and local partners that worked tirelessly to disrupt this violent criminal enterprise,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “This group thought they were above the law and our message is simple: if you choose to operate like a street army, then you’re choosing to face the FBI—rest assured your days terrorizing our communities are numbered.”

The indictment alleges that from in or about the year 2023 through the present, the drug trafficking organization distributed cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”),cocaine, fentanyl or a substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, and marihuana within 1,000 feet of Manuel F. Rossy Public Housing Project (PHP), and other areas nearby the municipality of San Germán, all for significant financial gain and profit.

The object of the conspiracy was the large-scale distribution of controlled substances at the Manuel F. Rossy PHP, and other areas nearby in the Municipality of San Germán, all for significant financial gain and profit. It was part of the manner and means of the conspiracy that there were at least two (2) drug points operating within the inside of two (2) apartments inside the PHP, and that sellers would sell drugs through a window to avoid being seen and/or detected by law enforcement.

As part of the conspiracy the defendants would secure the entrance to the apartments that were utilized as drug points, with two (2) by four (4) wooden studs, to allow time for them to dispose of the drugs in the event of an unexpected law enforcement search and seizure.

In preserving power and protecting territory, the members of the organization would use intimidation, force, and violence in order to maintain control of the drug trafficking operations and intimidate rival drug trafficking organizations. Moreover, they would give beatings to other co-conspirators and/or residents of the housing projects, with different weapons, including horse whips, as discipline for violating certain rules.

The defendants acted in different roles to further the goals of the drug trafficking conspiracy, to include leaders, enforcers, runners, sellers, facilitators, andlookouts. The defendants charged in the drug trafficking conspiracy are:

[1] Jonathan Humberto Peraza-Rosa, a.k.a. “El Negro”

[2] Jesed Natan Pagán-Ríos, a.k.a. “J”

[3] Karvinson Javier Medina-Figueroa, a.k.a. “Champi/Jampi”

[4] Giancarlo Robles-Pérez, a.k.a. “Gps/Penuelas/Jp”

[5] Kelvin Torres-Alvarado, a.k.a. “Pito Ciribillo/Ciribi”

[6] Eliezer Mikael Cruz-Molinary, a.k.a. “Mikael”

[7] Yafet Omar Alameda-Torres

[8] Anabel Tina Rodríguez

[9] Jan Louis García-Franqui

[10] Joe Armando Cotte-Ruiz, a.k.a. “Chevy”

[11] Katiushcka Angelis Toro-Flores, a.k.a. “Katy/Angie”

[12] John Eric Javier Cintrón-Massanet, a.k.a. “Budah”

[13] Yadiel Omar Ponce De Leon-Ruiz, a.k.a. “Koby/Kobe”

[14] Joel Rivera-Medina, a.k.a. “Fugitivo”

[15] Melvin Jermaine Mitchel-Pérez, a.k.a. “JM/El Padrino”

[16] Justin Daniel Nieves

Nine defendants are charged in Count Six with possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

The FBI thanks the PRPB Ponce and Mayagüez Strike Force for their assistance in this investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort, Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares, and FBI Special AUSA Frank M. Norris are prosecuting 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 Six, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 15 years, and up to life in prison. All defendants charged in the drug conspiracy are facing a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $2,850,900.

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).

The take-down is part of the FBI’s Summer Heat initiative, which is taking place across the country during the summer months.  Summer Heat is targeting violent offenders and gang members who terrorize our communities and is part of Director Patel’s commitment to the American people to Crush Crime.

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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An indictment was unsealed today in the District of Puerto Rico charging two men for their alleged roles in operating and promoting OmegaPro, an international investment scheme that defrauded victim investors of over $650 million.

According to court documents, Michael Shannon Sims, 48, of Georgia and Florida, was a founder, strategic consultant, and promoter of OmegaPro, and Juan Carlos Reynoso, 57, of New Jersey and Florida, led OmegaPro’s operations in Latin America and parts of the United States, including Puerto Rico.

“As alleged, the defendants preyed upon vulnerable individuals in the U.S. and abroad, defrauding them of over $650 million by making false promises of substantial returns and that their money was safe,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division is committed to prosecuting these bad actors and pursuing justice for their many victims. Thanks to the dedicated work of our multiagency and international law enforcement partners, we are leading efforts to combat these complex and insidious digital asset investor scams.” 

“As alleged in the indictment, the defendants operated a global fraud scheme through OmegaPro that deceived investors with false promises of extraordinary returns, only to misappropriate hundreds of millions of victim funds,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico. “We remain committed to dismantling international financial schemes that target U.S. victims — including here in Puerto Rico — and to recovering illicit proceeds through criminal prosecution and asset forfeiture.”

“The FBI will not stand by while the American public is defrauded,” said Assistant Director Joe Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Through coordination with our partners, these individuals will have to defend their actions in a court of law.”

“This case exposes the ruthless reality of modern financial crime,” said Chief Guy Ficco of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “OmegaPro promised financial freedom but delivered financial ruin – stealing over $650 million from everyday people and vanishing it into virtual currency. These weren't just scams; they were precision-engineered betrayals. Our job is to stand up for those who've been exploited and continue our cross-agency collaboration until those responsible are brought to justice."

“This case highlights the critical role international partnerships play in dismantling transnational financial fraud schemes that exploit global markets and victimize unsuspecting investors,” said International Operations Assistant Director Ricardo Mayoral of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “HSI remains committed to working with our partners worldwide to disrupt criminal networks that weaponize emerging technologies to conceal illicit profits and defraud the public.”

Sims and co-conspirators established OmegaPro in or about January 2019, and Reynoso joined a few months later, in or about April 2019. As alleged, the defendants and others operated and promoted OmegaPro as a multi-level marketing (MLM) scheme for investors to purchase “investment packages,” which the defendants and others falsely promised would generate 300% returns over 16 months through foreign exchange (forex) trading by elite traders. Investors were instructed to purchase these investment packages using virtual currency.

According to court documents, Sims allegedly misled victims by vouching for OmegaPro’s trading performance and the skills of the hired traders and by falsely advertising the safety of investment in OmegaPro. Reynoso allegedly falsely and misleadingly represented that OmegaPro was operating pursuant to a legitimate license and, at other times, that OmegaPro was not subject to any country’s legal rules. The indictment alleges that Sims and Reynoso, together with co-conspirators, hosted lavish OmegaPro promotional events and trainings all over the world including, for example, projecting the OmegaPro logo onto the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, at an event in Dubai. The objective of these promotional events allegedly was to convince existing and prospective investors that OmegaPro was a legitimate enterprise that offered a path to wealth and a luxurious lifestyle.

Further, Sims, Reynoso, and their co-conspirators used social media to display their expensive vacations and cars, as well as their designer clothes and watches. The indictment alleges that through the defendants’ and others’ misrepresentations, OmegaPro raised over $650 million in virtual currency from thousands of investors. After OmegaPro announced that it had suffered a network hack, Reynoso and others told victims in or about January 2023 that their investments were secure and that OmegaPro was transferring their investments to another platform called Broker Group. Despite these representations, victims were unable to withdraw money from either their OmegaPro accounts or their accounts at Broker Group, resulting in millions in victim losses.

The more than $650 million in funds raised from victims allegedly was first sent to virtual currency wallet addresses controlled by OmegaPro executives and then allegedly transferred to OmegaPro insiders and high-ranking promoters to disperse the funds and obscure their origins. As alleged, Sims and Reynoso both profited millions from this scheme.

Both defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, Sims and Reynoso each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count.

The FBI, IRS-CI, and HSI New York are investigating the case, with assistance from FBI’s Virtual Asset Unit, HSI Bangkok, HSI Bogota, HSI Frankfurt, HSI Istanbul, HSI London, HSI Miami, HSI New Delhi, HSI The Hague, the Office of the Attorney General of Colombia, and the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), an alliance between the Australian Taxation Office, the Canada Revenue Agency, the Dutch Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service, His Majesty's Revenue and Customs from the U.K., and IRS-CI.

Trial Attorneys Ariel Glasner and Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Gottfried for the District of Puerto Rico and on detail to the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case.

If you believe you were potentially victimized by OmegaPro or have information relevant to this investigation, please visit the FBI’s Victim Witness website at forms.fbi.gov/victims/omegaprovictims or contact OmegaProVictims@fbi.gov.

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

An indictment was unsealed today in the District of Puerto Rico charging two men for their alleged roles in operating and promoting OmegaPro, an international investment scheme that defrauded victim investors of over $650 million.

According to court documents, Michael Shannon Sims, 48, of Georgia and Florida, was a founder, strategic consultant, and promoter of OmegaPro, and Juan Carlos Reynoso, 57, of New Jersey and Florida, led OmegaPro’s operations in Latin America and parts of the United States, including Puerto Rico.

“As alleged, the defendants preyed upon vulnerable individuals in the U.S. and abroad, defrauding them of over $650 million by making false promises of substantial returns and that their money was safe,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division is committed to prosecuting these bad actors and pursuing justice for their many victims. Thanks to the dedicated work of our multiagency and international law enforcement partners, we are leading efforts to combat these complex and insidious digital asset investor scams.”  

“As alleged in the indictment, the defendants operated a global fraud scheme through OmegaPro that deceived investors with false promises of extraordinary returns, only to misappropriate hundreds of millions of victim funds,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico. “We remain committed to dismantling international financial schemes that target U.S. victims — including here in Puerto Rico — and to recovering illicit proceeds through criminal prosecution and asset forfeiture.”

“The FBI will not stand by while the American public is defrauded,” said Assistant Director Joe Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Through coordination with our partners, these individuals will have to defend their actions in a court of law.”

“This case exposes the ruthless reality of modern financial crime,” said Chief Guy Ficco of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “OmegaPro promised financial freedom but delivered financial ruin – stealing over $650 million from everyday people and vanishing it into virtual currency. These weren't just scams; they were precision-engineered betrayals. Our job is to stand up for those who've been exploited and continue our cross-agency collaboration until those responsible are brought to justice."

“This case highlights the critical role international partnerships play in dismantling transnational financial fraud schemes that exploit global markets and victimize unsuspecting investors,” said International Operations Assistant Director Ricardo Mayoral of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “HSI remains committed to working with our partners worldwide to disrupt criminal networks that weaponize emerging technologies to conceal illicit profits and defraud the public.”

Sims and co-conspirators established OmegaPro in or about January 2019, and Reynoso joined a few months later, in or about April 2019. As alleged, the defendants and others operated and promoted OmegaPro as a multi-level marketing (MLM) scheme for investors to purchase “investment packages,” which the defendants and others falsely promised would generate 300% returns over 16 months through foreign exchange (forex) trading by elite traders. Investors were instructed to purchase these investment packages using virtual currency.

According to court documents, Sims allegedly misled victims by vouching for OmegaPro’s trading performance and the skills of the hired traders and by falsely advertising the safety of investment in OmegaPro. Reynoso allegedly falsely and misleadingly represented that OmegaPro was operating pursuant to a legitimate license and, at other times, that OmegaPro was not subject to any country’s legal rules. The indictment alleges that Sims and Reynoso, together with co-conspirators, hosted lavish OmegaPro promotional events and trainings all over the world including, for example, projecting the OmegaPro logo onto the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, at an event in Dubai. The objective of these promotional events allegedly was to convince existing and prospective investors that OmegaPro was a legitimate enterprise that offered a path to wealth and a luxurious lifestyle.

Further, Sims, Reynoso, and their co-conspirators used social media to display their expensive vacations and cars, as well as their designer clothes and watches. The indictment alleges that through the defendants’ and others’ misrepresentations, OmegaPro raised over $650 million in virtual currency from thousands of investors. After OmegaPro announced that it had suffered a network hack, Reynoso and others told victims in or about January 2023 that their investments were secure and that OmegaPro was transferring their investments to another platform called Broker Group. Despite these representations, victims were unable to withdraw money from either their OmegaPro accounts or their accounts at Broker Group, resulting in millions in victim losses.

The more than $650 million in funds raised from victims allegedly was first sent to virtual currency wallet addresses controlled by OmegaPro executives and then allegedly transferred to OmegaPro insiders and high-ranking promoters to disperse the funds and obscure their origins. As alleged, Sims and Reynoso both profited millions from this scheme.

Both defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, Sims and Reynoso each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count.

The FBI, IRS-CI, and HSI New York are investigating the case, with assistance from FBI’s Virtual Asset Unit, HSI Bangkok, HSI Bogota, HSI Frankfurt, HSI Istanbul, HSI London, HSI Miami, HSI New Delhi, HSI The Hague, the Office of the Attorney General of Colombia, and the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), an alliance between the Australian Taxation Office, the Canada Revenue Agency, the Dutch Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service, His Majesty's Revenue and Customs from the U.K., and IRS-CI.

Trial Attorneys Ariel Glasner and Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Gottfried for the District of Puerto Rico and on detail to the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case.

If you believe you were potentially victimized by OmegaPro or have information relevant to this investigation, please visit the FBI’s Victim Witness website at forms.fbi.gov/victims/omegaprovictims or contact OmegaProVictims@fbi.gov.

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

El 8 de julio de 2025, se hizo pública una acusación formal en el Distrito de Puerto Rico que acusa a dos hombres por su presunto rol en la operación y promoción de OmegaPro, un esquema de inversión internacional que defraudó a los inversionistas víctimas por más de 650 millones de dólares.

Según documentos judiciales, Michael Shannon Sims, de 48 años, de Georgia y Florida, fue fundador, consultor estratégico y promotor de OmegaPro; y Juan Carlos Reynoso, de 57 años, de Nueva Jersey y Florida, dirigió las operaciones de OmegaPro en América Latina y partes de los Estados Unidos y Puerto Rico.

“Como se alega, los acusados ​​se aprovecharon de personas vulnerables en los Estados Unidos y en el extranjero, estafándoles por más de 650 millones de dólares con falsas promesas de ganancias sustanciales y de que su dinero estaba seguro”, declaró Matthew R. Galeotti, jefe de la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia Federal. “La División Penal se compromete a procesar a estos malhechores y a buscar justicia para sus numerosas víctimas. Gracias a la dedicación de nuestros socios, tanto de agencias como de organismos internacionales, encabezamos los esfuerzos para combatir estas complejas e insidiosas estafas de inversionistas en activos digitales”. 

“Como se alega en la acusación formal, los acusados ​​operaron un esquema de fraude global a través de OmegaPro, engañando a los inversionistas con falsas promesas de ganancias extraordinarias, solo para malversar cientos de millones de los fondos de las víctimas”, declaró el fiscal federal W. Stephen Muldrow para el Distrito de Puerto Rico. “Seguimos comprometidos con el desmantelamiento de los esquemas financieros internacionales que se dirigen a las víctimas estadounidenses, incluso aquí en Puerto Rico, y con la recuperación de las ganancias ilícitas mediante el enjuiciamiento penal y el decomiso de bienes”.

“El FBI no se quedará de brazos cruzados mientras el público estadounidense es defraudado”, declaró el subdirector Joe Perez, de la División de Investigación Criminal del FBI. “Mediante la coordinación con nuestros socios, estas personas tendrán que defender sus acciones ante un tribunal”.

“Este caso expone la despiadada realidad de los delitos financieros modernos”, declaró Guy Ficco jefe de la División de Investigación Criminal del IRS (IRS-CI). “OmegaPro prometió libertad financiera, pero trajo la ruina financiera: robó más de 650 millones de dólares a personas comunes y los desvaneció en moneda virtual. No se trataba de simples estafas; eran traiciones minuciosamente planificadas. Nuestra labor es defender a quienes han sido explotados y continuar la colaboración interinstitucional hasta que los responsables sean llevados ante la justicia”.

“Este caso pone de relieve el rol crucial que desempeñan las alianzas internacionales para desmantelar las redes transnacionales de fraude financiero que explotan los mercados globales y victimizan a inversionistas desprevenidos”, declaró Ricardo Mayoral, subdirector de Operaciones Internacionales de la División de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de EE. UU. (HSI por sus siglas en inglés). “HSI mantiene su compromiso de colaborar con sus socios en todo el mundo para desmantelar las redes criminales que utilizan tecnologías emergentes para ocultar ganancias ilícitas y defraudar al público”.

Sims y sus cómplices fundaron OmegaPro alrededor de enero de 2019, y Reynoso se unió unos meses después, alrededor de abril de 2019. Según se alega, los acusados ​​y otros operaban y promocionaban OmegaPro como un esquema de marketing multinivel (MLM) para que los inversionistas adquirieran “paquetes de inversión”, que los acusados y otros prometieron falsamente que generaría rendimientos del 300% en 16 meses mediante la compraventa de divisas (forex) por parte de operadores de élite. Se instruía a los inversionistas a comprar estos paquetes de inversión utilizando moneda virtual.

Según documentos judiciales, Sims presuntamente engañó a las víctimas al asegurar el rendimiento comercial de OmegaPro y la habilidad de los operadores contratados, y al anunciar falsamente la seguridad de invertir en OmegaPro. Reynoso presuntamente declaró falsa y engañosamente que OmegaPro operaba con una licencia legítima y, en otras ocasiones, que OmegaPro no estaba sujeto a las leyes de ningún país. La acusación formal alega que Sims y Reynoso, junto con sus cómplices, organizaron ostentosos eventos promocionales y capacitaciones de OmegaPro en todo el mundo, incluyendo, por ejemplo, la proyección del logotipo de OmegaPro sobre el Burj Khalifa, el edificio más alto del mundo, en un evento en Dubái. El objetivo de estos eventos promocionales supuestamente era convencer a los inversionistas actuales y potenciales de que OmegaPro era una empresa legítima que ofrecía un camino hacia la riqueza y un estilo de vida lujoso.

Además, Sims, Reynoso y sus cómplices usaron las redes sociales para promocionar sus costosas vacaciones y autos, así como su ropa y relojes de diseñador. La acusación formal alega que, mediante declaraciones falsas de los acusados ​​y otros, OmegaPro recaudó más de 650 millones de dólares en moneda virtual de miles de inversionistas. Después de que OmegaPro anunciara que había sufrido un ataque informático, Reynoso y otros informaron a las víctimas alrededor de enero de 2023 que sus inversiones estaban seguras y que OmegaPro las estaba transfiriendo a otra plataforma llamada Broker Group. A pesar de estas declaraciones, las víctimas no pudieron retirar dinero ni de sus cuentas de OmegaPro ni de las de Broker Group, lo que les causó pérdidas millonarias.

Los más de 650 millones de dólares recaudados de las víctimas supuestamente se enviaron primero a direcciones de monederos virtuales controlados por ejecutivos de OmegaPro y luego se transfirieron supuestamente a miembros de OmegaPro y promotores de alto rango para distribuir los fondos y ocultar su origen. Según se alega, Sims y Reynoso se beneficiaron millonariamente de este esquema.

Ambos acusados ​​están acusados ​​de un cargo de conspiración para cometer fraude electrónico y un cargo de conspiración para lavado de dinero. De ser declarados culpables, Sims y Reynoso enfrentan una pena máxima de 20 años en prisión cada uno por cada cargo.

El FBI, el IRS-CI y HSI Nueva York están investigando el caso, con la asistencia de la Unidad de Activos Virtuales del FBI, HSI Bangkok, HSI Bogotá, HSI Frankfurt, HSI Estambul, HSI Londres, HSI Miami, HSI Nueva Delhi, HSI La Haya, la Fiscalía General de la Nación de Colombia y los Jefes Conjuntos de Ejecución Fiscal Global (J5), una alianza entre la Oficina Australiana de Impuestos, la Agencia de Ingresos de Canadá, el Servicio de Información e Investigación Fiscal de los Países Bajos, la Oficina de Ingresos y Aduanas de Su Majestad del Reino Unido y el IRS-CI.

Los fiscales Ariel Glasner y Tamara Livshiz de la Sección de Fraude de la División Penal y el fiscal federal adjunto Jonathan Gottfried para el Distrito de Puerto Rico y destacado en la Sección de Delitos Informáticos y Propiedad Intelectual están procesando el caso.

Si cree que fue potencialmente víctima de OmegaPro o tiene información relevante para esta investigación, visite el sitio web de Víctimas y Testigos del FBI en forms.fbi.gov/victims/omegaprovictims o comuníquese con  OmegaProVictims@fbi.gov .

Una acusación formal es simplemente una alegación. Todos los acusados ​​se presumen inocentes hasta que se demuestre su culpabilidad más allá de toda duda razonable ante un tribunal.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On June 26, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Juan Edgardo Negrón-Navarro, age 27, of Jayuya, PR, with coercion and enticement of minors, sexual exploitation of children, and interstate threat communications. Today, FBI special agents arrested Negrón-Navarro. 

According to court documents, from in or about April 2023 to in or about May 2023, Juan Edgardo Negrón-Navarro did knowingly employ, use, persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a female minor between 15 and 16 years old (Minor 1) to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct. The defendant produced sexually explicit images of such conduct. Negrón-Navarro threatened Minor 1 by threatening to post the sexually explicit images on the Internet and to damage her reputation if she did not comply with sending sexually explicit images to him.

Additionally, from in or about September 2024 to in or about November 2024, Juan Edgardo Negrón-Navarro did knowingly employ, use, persuade, induce, entice, and coerce another female minor while she was 17 years of age (Minor 2), to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct. At the same time, the defendant produced sexually explicit images of such conduct.

Moreover, on or about August 3, 2024, Negrón-Navarro, through the Internet, threatened to kill an adult female if she did not send him sexually explicit images.

The defendant is scheduled for his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marcos E. López of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. If convicted, the defendant faces a minimum term or imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years for the charge of sexual exploitation of children; a minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life for the charge of coercion and enticement of a minor; and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years for the charge of interstate communications. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.  

“Child exploitation, in all its forms, are the most heinous crimes a person can commit, and the emotional pain inflicted on the victims is overwhelming,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners are fully committed to identify, locate, arrest, and prosecute these criminals to the fullest extent of the law. Nonetheless, the community, including teachers and parents, must be vigilant and proactive with our children and educate them on how to protect themselves from these offenders.”

“There is no place in Puerto Rico—or anywhere in America—for child predators,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “If you exploit children, the heroic men and women of the FBI and our law enforcement partners are coming for you—no matter how long it takes or how much you try to hide.  That is a promise we intend to keep, every single time.”

The FBI is investigating the case with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.

Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Emelina Agrait-Barreto of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On June 23, 2025, United States District Court Judge Camille Vélez-Rivé sentenced Eric Jonuel Collazo-Colón to 135 months (11 years and 3 months) in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for child exploitation charges against a female minor. Collazo-Colón, 34, from Orocovis, PR, was indicted on August 1st, 2024, and plead guilty to the coercion and enticement of a minor on March 24, 2025.

According to court documents, from October 2023, through June 2024, Defendant Eric Jonuel Collazo Colon, used a cellular phone, internet instant text messaging services, and social media, to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a female minor when she was between 14 and 15 years of age to engage in sexual activity, and to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct, for which Collazo Colon could be charged with a criminal offense under the laws of the United States of America and Puerto Rico.

“Our dedicated team of prosecutors, victim witness coordinators, and support personnel will continue to work with our equally dedicated law enforcement partners to combat child exploitation and to bring these offenders to justice,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.

“This sentence brings to justice a teacher who abused his position of public trust to sexually exploit our most vulnerable, our children. Let this case serve as a warning to all individuals in positions of authority: the consequences are severe, and the repercussions are real. This individual does not represent the dedicated educators of Puerto Rico who work tirelessly every day to guide, protect and inspire our youth,” said Rebecca González-Ramos, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations San Juan. “This case also highlights the critical responsibility of parents and guardians to actively monitor digital devices, as predators often use technology to target minors. The parents’ intervention saved this victim from further emotional damage. HSI remains vigilant in safeguarding the mental health and safety of our children, and we continue to dedicate our resources to investigating crimes against minors.”

Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case and Assistant US Attorney Jenifer Y. Hernández-Vega, Chief of the Child Exploitation Unit and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Jeffrey Omar Delgado-López with possession of a machinegun and with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) is in charge of the investigation under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Devin J. Kowalski.

According to the Government’s allegations, on June 1, 2025, Delgado-López possessed a Glock pistol model 19 loaded with 31 rounds of ammunition and an additional 42 rounds of 9mm ammunition, as a convicted felon.

The indictment also alleges that Delgado-López possessed a machinegun, specifically a Glock pistol model 19 modified to fire automatically more than one shot without manually reloading by a single function of the trigger.

“Fighting gun violence remains a top priority for our office and the Justice Department and, as this case shows, we are steadfast in our commitment to prosecute those who violate federal firearms laws,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.

“Jeffrey Omar Delgado-López was under federal supervised release, and he chose to break the law again--arming himself illegally in the streets of Mayagüez. This is unacceptable,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “Crushing violent crimes also means preventing them. We will not allow armed felons to operate in our communities.”

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carlos J. Romo-Aledo and Alberto R. Lopez Rocafort, Chief of the Gang Section, are in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted, the defendant faces a sentence of up to fifteen years in prison.

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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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A Dominican national was arrested today on criminal charges for allegedly assaulting a federal officer.

According to court documents, Bernis Díaz-de la Cruz (Díaz), 20, was arrested and charged under a Federal Criminal Complaint with violations of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 111(a) – Obstructing and Resisting a Federal Officer – and 111(b) – Assault of a Federal Officer through the use of a dangerous weapon, for events which took place in Puerto Rico on June 25, 2025.

United States Border Patrol Agents were on duty when they encountered the subject who was engaged in suspected illegal activity inside a vehicle. Upon being confronted by the Border Patrol Agents, and instead of following commands, Díaz rapidly accelerated the vehicle toward one of the Border Patrol Agents who was in his official law enforcement uniform and standing in front of the vehicle. The Border Patrol Agent acted rapidly and moved to avoid being hit by the vehicle driven by Díaz. Díaz’s erratic driving ultimately resulted in a collision with another law enforcement vehicle which was in the vicinity of the incident.

Díaz is a citizen of the Dominican Republic and does not have legal status authorizing him to be present in the United States.

“The Department of Justice has zero tolerance for those criminals who assault federal or local law enforcement officers,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “We will prosecute those who assault the brave women and men who serve and protect our communities to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Assaulting a federal agent is a grave offense that risks the safety of those who serve and protect our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Devin J. Kowalski, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Juan Field Office. “When someone chooses violence instead of compliance, they endanger lives—including their own. These agents exercised extraordinary restraint and professionalism in the face of a dangerous and deliberate threat. But let this serve as a warning: any assault against federal law enforcement will be investigated with every single resource the FBI has it its portfolio and we will not rest until justice is fully served.”

“Thanks to the vigilance our agents and coordination with our federal partners, the defendant will now face justice under federal law, reinforcing that violations of U.S. sovereignty will not go unchecked,” stated Reggie Johnson, Chief Patrol Agent for Ramey Sector. “Assaults on any federal agent will not be tolerated. Those who choose to commit such acts will be held fully accountable under the law. Violence against law enforcement is an attack on the rule of law and public safety—and it will be met with swift and decisive justice.”

If convicted, Díaz faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI and the United States Border Patrol Ramey Sector are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney César Rivera-Díaz is prosecuting the case.

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). 

A criminal complaint 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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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On Friday, June 20, 2025, a federal jury convicted Joseph Payne-Pabón for carjacking resulting in death of an 82-year-old woman on January 7, 2020, in the municipality of San Juan.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on January 7, 2020, Joseph Payne-Pabón, a 34-year-old homeless man, entered the home of Eulalia Combas Sancho during the blackout resulting from the earthquakes, violently killed her and took her Hyundai Sonata. The evidence showed that Mr. Payne Pabón used a cement block to hit the victim in the back of the head causing a fracture to her skull and trauma to her brain that resulted in her death. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 10, 2025, at 10:30 am before United States District Court Judge Aida M. Delgado-Colón.

“This verdict is a direct result of the tireless efforts and outstanding work of agents and officers of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives, the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, and federal prosecutors and professional staff from the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow. “I commend their exceptional efforts and dedication from the beginning of the investigation of the carjacking and murder of the victim to the guilty verdict at trial.”

“This verdict reflects our community’s intolerance for senseless acts of violence, and our commitment to bring violent offenders who endanger innocent persons to justice,” said Gordon Mallory, Acting Special Agent in Charge of ATF Miami Field Division. “In partnership with the US Attorney’s Office in San Juan, the Puerto Rico Police Department, and the Puerto Rico Department of Justice, Mr. Payne-Pabón is being held accountable for his violent, and life-altering actions.  It is our hope that this conviction can bring some closure to the victim’s family.”

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with the assistance of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau and the Puerto Rico Department of Justice.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeanette M. Collazo-Ortiz and César Rivera-Díaz prosecuted the case.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On June 12, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment charging eight individuals with conspiracy to commit mail, wire, and bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The following agencies partnered with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate the case and execute the arrests today: U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), Social Security Administration (SSA), Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB), Guaynabo Municipal Police, San Juan Municipal Police, and Bayamón Municipal Police.

According to court documents, defendants

1. Enrique K. Falcón-López, a.k.a. “Gordo/Náutica”
2. Luis Pagán-Torres, a.k.a. “Luiso”
3. Francisco Martínez-Mendoza, a.k.a. “Pito”
4. Dennis H. Ditran, a.k.a. “Dennis H. Ditran Phillips/Dennis Ditren”
5. Tomás Bermúdez-Monroig
6. Iván González-Costa
7. Jesús M. Cruz-Martínez, a.k.a. “Chobi” and
8. Karelys Olmo-Rodríguez

conspired to unjustly enrich themselves by stealing means of identification of other people and using it to defraud the home improvement retailer Home Depot and Bank A.

To execute the fraudulent scheme, the defendants stole identifying information from unsuspecting victims, created hundreds of fraudulent Puerto Rico drivers’ licenses that contained some combination of stolen means of identifications including names, dates of birth, and drivers’ license numbers, along with photographs of the faces of members of the conspiracy. The defendants used the fraudulent licenses to open accounts at Home Depot and purchased thousands of dollars in merchandise, to then sell it.

“Financial fraud is one of the largest challenges facing American citizens and businesses today. Prevention and prosecution of crimes of this nature will remain a top priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said United States Attorney, W. Stephen Muldrow. “The defendants took advantage of the victims to steal their credit, fraudulently purchase merchandise, and then sell it to enrich themselves. We understand there may be more victims, so if you suspect you could be one, please contact HSI at (787) 729-6969.”

The defendants will make their initial court appearances today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Héctor Ramos-Vega of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a mandatory consecutive sentence of at least two years in prison for the aggravated identity theft charges. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Olinghouse and Manuel Muñiz-Lorenzi, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service Special Assistant United States Attorney Edwin Caban Jr. are prosecuting the case.

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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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment on June 5, 2025, charging Shokir Kurbonovich Khalilov, from Uzbekistan, and Keily Maisonet-Ortiz, San Juan, with marriage fraud.

According to court documents, from February 29, 2024, through on or about April 29, 2025, the defendants entered into a marriage for the purpose of evading any provision of the immigration laws of the United States. Shokir Kurbonovich Khalilov and Keily Maisonet-Ortiz obtained a marriage license and got married on March 13, 2024, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. On October of 2024 Maisonet-Ortiz submitted an I-130 Petition for Alien Relative in favor of defendant Shokir Kurbonovich Khalilov before the Department of Homeland Security and on the same date, Khalilov submitted a I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adult Status pursuant to his marriage to defendant Maisonet-Ortiz.

The defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and marriage fraud. Defendant Maisonet-Ortiz is scheduled for her initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Giselle López Soler of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. Defendant Khalilov will have his initial court appearance next week. If convicted, the defendants face a sentence of up to five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Reggie Johnson, Chief Patrol Agent for the Ramey Sector of the US Border Patrol made the announcement.

US Border Patrol is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Emelina M. Agrait Barreto is prosecuting the case.

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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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico andSpecial Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office Devin J. Kowalski, announced that a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Henry Manuel Sepúlveda-Cruzado, age 35, of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, with production and possession of child pornography material. On June 5, 2025, FBI special agents arrested Sepúlveda-Cruzado.

According to court documents, between approximately November 2023 and February 2024, Henry Manuel Sepúlveda-Cruzado knowingly employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a female minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of that conduct. During this period, the defendant also possessed child pornography material involving the minor on his electronic device.

If convicted, Sepúlveda-Cruzado faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison for production of child pornography, and up to 10 years in prison for possession of child pornography. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge, who will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

“The sexual abuse of children is intolerable and victimizes the most innocent and vulnerable members of our community,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “We will continue working to identify, arrest and prosecute those who steal the innocence of our children.”

“There is no place in our communities for predators who exploit children—none,” said the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office, Devin J. Kowalski. “The FBI will hunt these criminals down and ensure they are held fully accountable for their heinous acts. The public can rest assured that we will not hesitate, and we will not relent. To those targeting our youth, we’re coming for you. The FBI and our partners will make sure you face justice.”

The FBI is investigating the case with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.

Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Elba Gorbea of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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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