Federal Crackdown Dismantles Violent Puerto Rican Drug Syndicate, 80+ Charged

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The U.S. Department of Justice has indicted over 80 individuals following a major operation to dismantle a violent gang in Puerto Rico. Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the charges during a visit to the island on Thursday, signaling the Trump administration’s intensified commitment to eradicating violent crime.

Federal prosecutors identified the syndicate as “Los Baja Deo,” a group that operated out of the west coast city of Mayagüez. For years, the organization trafficked cocaine and fentanyl, generating an estimated $50 million in illegal revenue. According to Blanche, the group is linked to numerous shootings, homicides, kidnappings, and assaults, and is responsible for distributing at least 340 kilograms of fentanyl or fentanyl-laced substances.

“Our Homeland Security Task Forces across the nation are unified in their mission to eliminate the presence of criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations within the United States,” the newly confirmed attorney general stated during a press conference at the U.S. attorney’s office in San Juan.

Blanche’s visit to the U.S. territory highlights the administration’s strategic focus on disrupting the cartels and gangs that drive drug trafficking and community violence. Under the current administration, the Justice Department has undergone a significant reorganization to prioritize the combat of violent crime and illegal immigration.

“These 81 violent gang members will now face justice, as will anyone else who attempts to fill the void they leave behind,” said Héctor Ramírez-Carbó, the acting U.S. attorney for Puerto Rico. “Today, the families of Mayagüez can once again enjoy their community in peace and without fear.”

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