81 members of western PR gang ‘Los Baja Deo’ indicted

By THE STAR STAFF

A federal grand jury indicted 81 members of the “Los Baja Deo” organization on drug trafficking and firearms charges, while 70 of them were arrested on Wednesday during an operation in Mayagüez and nearby municipalities, the U.S. Department of Justice reported on Thursday.

“This is the type of collaboration that saves lives. So, this should serve as a warning to those who terrorize our communities,” U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a press conference. “Our Homeland Security Task Forces across the country are united to put an end to the presence of criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations in the United States.”

“Our efforts to eradicate transnational criminal gangs and cartels do not stop at the U.S. border and extend to other locations in South America,” the attorney general added. “The Trump administration is committed to applying truly innovative and unprecedented approaches and partnerships to eliminate drugs, cartels, and violent crime.”

Blanche said the operation complements efforts carried out in Ecuador, where agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), together with Ecuadorian law enforcement and the Department of Defense, conducted an operation against the leadership of the Los Choneros and Los Lobos organizations. In total, 26 people were arrested, including four leaders of Los Lobos and two Mexican citizens.

“These arrests reflect our commitment to removing violent gangs from our communities,” stated Héctor Ramírez Carbó, the acting U.S. Attorney for Puerto Rico. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, together with our federal, state, and local partners, will continue to aggressively pursue these gangs that poison our communities with dangerous drugs wherever they operate, and we will not rest until our neighborhoods are safe.”

Issued on Aug. 19, the indictment charges the defendants with conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute, drug possession and distribution, and firearms-related offenses.

According to the indictment, the 81 defendants belong to “Los Baja Deo,” also known as LBD. Authorities stated that the organization had been active in the western region for years, maintaining a steady supply of highly addictive and potentially lethal substances.

Since 2021, the group has distributed at least 340 kilograms of fentanyl -- or drugs laced with the opioid -- and 2,200 kilograms of cocaine, in addition to heroin, crack cocaine, and marijuana, according to the indictment. Prosecutors estimated the revenue generated by these operations at over $49 million.

As part of the investigation, agents seized 21 firearms. Another 21 defendants face an additional charge of possessing weapons in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Several of the organization’s distribution points operated within a 1,000-foot radius of eight public housing complexes. The court document identifies those as Sábalo Gardens, Cuesta Las Piedras, Yagüez, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Colombus Landing, Jardines de Concordia, Monte Isleño and Mar y Sol.

Beyond those complexes, operations extended to neighborhoods and sectors such as El Maní, La Salud, Buena Vista, Liceo, Broadway, La Chorra, Balboa, París, La Quinta, Río Hondo, La Mineral, Villas del Oeste, El Seco, Río Cristal and Dulces Labios, as well as other nearby areas.