US charges 81 in Puerto Rico gang case, as Trump cartel crackdown continues

The U.S. Department of Justice has indicted 81 individuals for alleged drug and weapons violations as part of a crackdown on the Puerto Rican criminal group Los Baja Deo (LBD). Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the charges, which stem from a federal task force initiative targeting criminal gangs and transnational organizations. The indictment alleges that LBD distributed significant quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and other drugs in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, since 2021, using violence and the U.S. Postal Service. This operation is part of President Donald Trump's broader effort to dismantle criminal organizations in the Western Hemisphere. Law enforcement aims to seize over $49 million in assets and has hailed the arrests as a disruption to drug trafficking into the U.S. mainland.

The U.S. Justice Department has charged over 80 individuals in Puerto Rico as part of a takedown of the violent gang "Los Baja Deo." Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the charges during a visit to the island, highlighting the Trump administration's focus on combating violent crime. Prosecutors allege the gang trafficked fentanyl and cocaine from Mayagüez, generating approximately $50 million and engaging in shootings, killings, kidnappings, and assaults. The group is also linked to the distribution of at least 340 kilograms of fentanyl. This operation is part of a broader effort by the administration to dismantle criminal organizations and reduce drug trafficking and violence.