17 Gang Members Indicted in Puerto Rico on Drug and Firearms Charges

Seventeen alleged members of a drug trafficking organization in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, have been indicted on charges related to drug trafficking and firearms violations. The indictment, returned by a federal grand jury on October 21, 2026, accuses the defendants of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession and distribution of controlled substances, and firearms violations, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The investigation, part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative, was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB) Aguadilla Strike Force. It also involved collaboration with the Puerto Rico Department of Correction and Rehabilitation, the Puerto Rico & Virgin Islands High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), and The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).

Allegations of Drug Distribution and Violence

Prosecutors allege that since 2022, the organization has been distributing heroin, cocaine base (crack), and fentanyl within 1,000 feet of the Las Muñecas Public Housing Project in Aguadilla. The indictment claims the group operated drug points out of various housing projects and wards in and around Aguadilla, using two-way radios, cell phones, instant messaging, and social media to communicate.

The defendants are also accused of participating in acts of violence, including shootings and murders, to further their drug trafficking operations. The organization allegedly distributed both wholesale and street-level quantities of controlled substances and trafficked illegal firearms.

Charges and Potential Penalties

The indictment includes charges against six defendants for possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. One defendant is specifically charged with possession of a machine gun 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.

Those convicted of both drug and firearms charges face a minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life. The defendant charged with possession of a machine gun faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years.

The defendants are also facing a narcotics forfeiture allegation totaling $4,334,375. The individuals charged include Alexander Torres Cintrón, Jonathan Pérez Cintrón, Fernando M. Pagán Flores, Wesley Ortiz-Soto, Jesús Román Marrero, Jeremy D.

Medina Acevedo, Edwin Y. Santiago Marín, Christian Rivera Cardona, José Rosario Bermúdez, Yan P. Serrano Vizcarrondo, Efraín Colón Morales, Lizbeth Dávila Pedrasa, Bryan Tosado Pedraza, Kelvin Torres De Lancer, Jorge Christian Acevedo Pérez, Ángel L.

Román García, and Raynell Caravallo Vázquez.

Official Statements

"Drug trafficking organizations like the one alleged in today’s indictment inflict profound harm on our communities—fueling addiction, poisoning our youth, sowing fear, and endangering innocent lives," said Acting U.S. Attorney Héctor Ramírez Carbó. "Today’s arrests send a clear message to those who endanger our neighborhoods through drug trafficking and firearms offenses: You will be identified, your organization dismantled and will pay the price."

Michael Mayer, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Caribbean Division, emphasized the reach of the DEA's mission throughout Puerto Rico, stating, "Operation Los Tíos sends a clear message: the DEA’s mission extends throughout Puerto Rico. No community in Puerto Rico is beyond our reach, and no drug trafficking organization is beyond the reach of justice."

The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U. S. Attorney Myriam Y.

Fernández and AUSA Andrés Orr. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.