In a recent joint operation between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Puerto Rico Police Department, a long-standing violent drug trafficking group known as “Los Baja Deo” (LBD) in the western region of Puerto Rico was dismantled. Law enforcement agencies arrested 70 out of 81 indicted members who are suspected of drug trafficking, with some facing additional charges related to firearms offenses.
The indictment filed on August 19 accused the organization, based in Mayagüez city, of distributing heroin, fentanyl, cocaine base (crack), cocaine, and marijuana since 2021. Twenty-one defendants were also charged with possessing firearms to facilitate drug trafficking crimes. The charges were brought forward following years of investigation into the group’s operations on the western side of the island of Puerto Rico.
Prosecutors stated that LBD operated drug sale points in public housing areas and surrounding neighborhoods throughout the city of Mayagüez, including Sábalo Gardens, Cuesta Las Piedras, Yagüez, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Columbus Landing, Jardines de Concordia, Monte Isleño, Mar y Sol, as well as nearby streets and regions.
Héctor Ramírez-Carbó, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, remarked that the organization carried out criminal activities in all 23 public housing projects and communities in the city, with its influence “practically pervading” the entire urban area. The arrests aimed to eradicate violent gangs from the communities of Mayagüez.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the organization distributed at least 340 kilograms of fentanyl or fentanyl-laced drugs, as well as at least 2,200 kilograms of cocaine, illicitly generating profits exceeding $49 million. During the operation, law enforcement officers seized 21 firearms, and prosecutors are seeking the confiscation of over $49.7 million in criminal proceeds.
The indictment further alleges that the organization members shipped drugs to the U.S. mainland through the U.S. Postal Service and coordinated drug sales using two-way radios, phones, social media, and messaging apps, earning illicit profits amounting to millions of dollars annually. Additionally, these members resorted to violence such as shootings, kidnappings, murders, and other violent means when they perceived threats to the organization.
Key figures among the indicted defendants include José Onairam Medina-Marrero, alias “La O,” “Omayra,” and “Onairam”; Ulises Irizarry-Santiago, alias “Viejo,” “Patrón,” and “Chapo”; Ramón Miguel Rodríguez-Pacheco, alias “Piti” and “Ramón el Gordo”; and Elizabeth Díaz-Fábregas, alias “La Patrona.”
If the drug charges against these suspects are proven, they could face a minimum of 10 years to life imprisonment. If convicted on both drug and firearms charges, the defendants could face at least 15 years to life in prison.
On Thursday, U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche officially announced these significant charges in San Juan. Blanche stated, “These 81 defendants are charged as drug dealers for LBD… They continued to supply highly addictive and potentially lethal drugs, seriously endangering community safety.” He emphasized that the Department of Homeland Security’s special task force will continue to combat drug trafficking groups, gangs, and other criminal organizations.
FBI Director Kash Patel highlighted that the case also involved a smuggling pipeline for shipping drugs to the U.S. mainland through mail.
The FBI’s San Juan Office stated that the investigation, based in Aguadilla, involved the deployment of 13 Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams, Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG) pilots, and other tactical units.
The charges in the current indictment are allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.