see also: in July 2002:   U.S. Customs Service Inspectors Seize 3,618 Pounds of Cocaine on the Miami River   U.S. Customs Inspectors at Falcon Dam Seize Significant Cocaine Load, Arrest Fugitive   Customs Finds 7,500 Pounds of Marijuana in Tractor-Trailer   U.S. Customs Service Inspectors Seize 392 Pounds of Cocaine on the Miami River   Customs Names Mitchell to Head New York Operations   U.S. Customs, FBI National Intellectual Property Rights Center Holds Industry Outreach Conference   Operation Green Quest Seizes More Than $22 Million in Ongoing Efforts to Dismantle Terror Finance Networks ...more

contacts for this news release

Puerto Rico - H.S. Garcia, United States Attorney, District of Puerto Rico; Roberto J. Fernandez, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Customs Service/Office of Investigations; Jose I. Marrero, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service/ Criminal Investigation; Annabelle Rodriguez, Puerto Rico Secretary of Justice, and Miguel A. Pereira, Superintendent, Police of Puerto Rico, today announced the indictment of nineteen individuals by a federal Grand Jury.

Earlier today, the High Intensity Financial Crimes Area (HIFCA) agents arrested 15 individuals in the District of Puerto Rico and in California.

The indictment charged a total of seventy-seven counts, which include conspiracy to commit money laundering, structuring, drug trafficking and weapons violations. According to the indictment, the defendants did knowingly, unlawfully and intentionally agree to possess with intent to distribute more than one thousand (1000) kilograms of marijuana, in violation of Title 21, USC, Sections 841(a) and 841(b)(1)(A)(vi), to generate money for its members and associates through the sale and distribution of marijuana.

The defendants and their co-conspirators are also charged with having different roles and different tasks in furtherance of the conspiracy, including roles as drug packagers, drug distributors, drug runners, drug money collectors, drug money senders, drug money receivers and security. The defendants are accused of having possessed, brandished, and used firearms to provide protection for the drug operations from rival drug trafficking organizations and rival members of the same organization.

The defendants are also charged with knowingly conducting and attempting to conduct financial transactions that involved the proceeds of specified unlawful activity, knowing that the transactions were designed in whole or in part to avoid a transaction reporting requirement and while conducting and attempting to conduct such financial transactions, knowing that the property involved in the financial transactions represented the proceeds of some form of unlawful activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(a)(1)(B)(ii).

The following individuals were charged and face the following charges:

1. JOEL CRUZ-FIGUEROA, A.K.A Caballo, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute narcotics, one count of using firearms during the conspiracy, and one count of aiding and abetting others while committing such offenses.
2. ERIC ADAMS-RAMOS, A.K.A. El Colorao, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute narcotics, one count of using firearms during the conspiracy, and one count of aiding and abetting others while committing such offenses.
3. JOSE A. NIEVES-SIERRA, A.K.A. Chicun, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute narcotics, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, five counts of money laundering, one count of structuring transactions to avoid reporting requirements, and one count of aiding and abetting others while committing such offenses.
4. HAMID Y. ADAMS-RAMOS, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute narcotics, and one count of aiding and abetting others while committing such offenses.
5. JOSEFINA SIERRA-MARION, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute narcotics, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, five counts of money laundering, one count of structuring transactions to avoid reporting requirements, and one count of aiding and abetting others while committing such offenses.
6. IRMA ORTIZ-RODRIGUEZ, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute narcotics, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, five counts of money laundering, one count of structuring transactions to avoid reporting requirements, and one count of aiding and abetting others while committing such offenses.
7. HARRY SANTOS-ROSA, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute narcotics, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, five counts of money laundering, one count of structuring transactions to avoid reporting requirements, and one count of aiding and abetting others while committing such offenses.
8. CARMELO RODUIGUEZ-SANCHEZ, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute narcotics, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, five counts of money laundering, one count of structuring transactions to avoid reporting requirements, and one count of aiding and abetting others while committing such offenses.
9. ARMANDO RUIZ-MALAVE, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute narcotics, one count of possession of a firearm, and one count of aiding and abetting others while committing such offenses.
10. SALVADOR FACUNDO, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute narcotics, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, five counts of money laundering, and one count of aiding and abetting others while committing such offenses.
11. SUHEIL PIZARRO-ROSA, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute narcotics, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, five counts of money laundering, one count of structuring transactions to avoid reporting requirements, and one count of aiding and abetting others while committing such offenses.

    JOSEAN NIEVES-SIERRA A.K.A BEBO and JULISSA GARCIA CARABALLO are currently fugitives and begin sought by U.S. Customs. Any one with information is encouraged to contact our Hotline 1-800-981-3030.

The following individuals were arrested in the State of California and face the following charges:

12. FELIX ALBA, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute narcotics, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, five counts of money laundering, and one count of aiding and abetting others while committing such offenses.
13. JESSENIA ALVARADO, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute narcotics, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, five counts of money laundering, and one count of aiding and abetting others while committing such offenses.
14. CONSUELO ALVARADO, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute narcotics, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, five counts of money laundering, and one count of aiding and abetting others while committing such offenses.
15. MARK SCALA, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute narcotics, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, one count of structuring transactions to avoid reporting requirements, and one count of aiding and abetting others while committing such offenses.

United States Attorney Garcia stated: "HIFCA and its participating agencies are to be commended for their hard work and dedication leading to this indictment. Money laundering, the financial tool of criminal enterprise to make its money usable, will continue to be investigated, rooted out and charged wherever it is found."

U.S. Customs Service, Special Agent in Charge Roberto F. Fernandez, stated: "This is an excellent example of what Federal, State and Local authorities can do when they work in an open cooperative fashion. HIFCA is just that, a multi-agency Task Force, and this is but one of its many success stories, there are more to come… Financial investigations provide us the mean to totally dismantle drug, terrorist and other illegitimate networks, we intend to utilize them to the fullest extent."

The Internal Revenue Service, Special Agent in Charge Jose I. Marrero Official stated: "The message is clear: HIFCA San Juan would not tolerate any type of activity related to money laundering or any other financial crimes, conducted by criminal organizations in Puerto Rico."

Penalties for convictions of the offenses alleged in the indictment range from ten years to life imprisonment and fines up to $4,000.000.

Assistant Desireé Laborde-Sanfiorenzo is handling this case on behalf of the United States Attorney's Office.