Authorities offer details of Yabucoa drug gang arrest
By The Star Staff
The Department of Justice’s district attorney in Humacao, Yamil Juarbe Molina, along with the assistant commissioner for special operations of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, Carlos Cruz, on Tuesday detailed the filing of charges against members of a criminal organization that operates in the eastern part of the island.
“We, between the summer of last year and the beginning of this year, faced a series of murders in the eastern region, specifically in the town of Yabucoa,” Cruz said at a press conference. “There some investigative initiatives were started along with the Humacao prosecutor’s office and they managed to solve two cases of murders of the town of Humacao.
“One was from July 3 [2021] when they killed an individual known as “Tijeras.” That day he was killed outside a basketball court and there was a viral video in which some children were playing on that court,” the official said. “Another case was on April 30 of this year, where a man named Luis Ángel Ortiz Castro was testifying against Delwin “Tuntún” Berríos Navarro. That day they killed the young man and his partner was injured. That case was solved.”
Cruz noted that the authorities are looking for members of the Tuntún organization.
Murder cases were filed against Delwin Berríos Navarro along with the individuals identified as Eli Saúl Lasú Abreu, known as “Eli”; Edwin Yamil Berríos Navarro, known as “Coco”; Julio Ángel Gómez Gutiérrez, known as Yuyo”; and José Antonio Lozada Ramos, known as “Paw”.
“These people are part of a criminal organization from the town of Yabucoa where they committed murders, as well as in Humacao and San Lorenzo,” Cruz said. “We filed two murder cases in the town of Yabucoa. This is an extremely dangerous organization. We are asking the public to contact the confidential line: 787.0343.2020 if they know of the whereabouts of these five people.”
The events are linked to the war for control of drug points in Yabucoa and surrounding towns.
Juarbe Molina said bail was set at $4 million for Delwin Berríos Navarro and $2.4 million for Lozada Ramos. Meanwhile, Lazú Abreu, Edwin Yamil Berríos Navarro and Gómez Umpierre must produce the sum of $3.5 million each.