US Charges 81 in Puerto Rico Gang Takedown Targeting Drug Network
US authorities charged 81 people linked to the Los Baja Deo gang in Puerto Rico, seizing a drug network tied to violence and fentanyl distribution.
The U.S. Justice Department has unsealed charges against 81 individuals linked to a violent drug trafficking organization operating in western Puerto Rico. Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the takedown during a visit to San Juan on Thursday, highlighting the administration's broader push against cartels and violent crime.
The operation, led by the FBI and Puerto Rico Police with support from a San Juan Homeland Security Task Force, resulted in the arrest of 70 alleged members of the gang known as Los Baja Deo, or LBD. A grand jury indictment, returned last week, accuses the defendants of illicit activity dating back to 2021.
Prosecutors allege the gang distributed large quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, and marijuana, generating nearly $50 million in proceeds. The indictment also details the distribution of at least 340 kilograms of fentanyl or fentanyl-laced narcotics.
Blanche described the group's use of violence as a core business tactic, including murders, drive-by shootings, kidnappings, and physical assaults to maintain control over their operations. He issued a warning to other criminal organizations, stating that federal task forces are unified in their effort to dismantle cartels and transnational gangs.
Acting U.S. Attorney for Puerto Rico Héctor Ramírez-Carbó, a native of Mayagüez where the gang was based, said residents had lived in fear of violence often occurring in broad daylight. He asserted that the operation has eradicated the threat, allowing families to enjoy their communities without fear.
In a related development, Blanche also announced a separate operation in Ecuador targeting the leadership of the foreign terrorist organizations Los Choneros and Los Lobos, which are accused of maintaining airstrips to transport drugs across the continent.