81 Members of Puerto Rico Gang Charged With Drug Trafficking and Firearms Violations as Part of Homeland Security Task Force Initiative

The indictment further states that gang members retaliated over perceived threats to its organization or its members and responded with violence, including shootings, kidnappings, and murders.

Rachel Acenas

Published: 8/27/2026, 4:47:37 PM EDT

81 Members of Puerto Rico Gang Charged With Drug Trafficking and Firearms Violations as Part of Homeland Security Task Force Initiative — A special agent with Homeland Security Investigations observes the raucous New Orleans crowds during Mardi Gras and Super Bowl LIX while communicating with teams on the ground. HSI is often tasked with providing security to high-profile events. (.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday charged 81 members of a violent gang in Puerto Rico for drug trafficking and firearms violations as part of its Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative.

FBI Director Kash Patel described the takedown as a major operation involving federal, state, and local agencies. The FBI and the Puerto Rico Police Department led the takedown of the criminal enterprise, according to the agency.

“The FBI and our partners mobilized a massive amount of resources for this takedown, including 13 SWAT teams, CIRG pilots, and more, and as always they executed brilliantly,” Patel said in a statement.

“These arrests disrupted one of western Puerto Rico’s most violent drug‑trafficking organizations, dismantled its leadership and distribution networks, and cut off yet another key pipeline of dealt drugs flowing into our country.”

The takedown was part of the HSTF initiative that focuses on dismantling drug trafficking organizations, criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking networks. The initiative notably features a multi-agency approach, rather than having agencies investigate crimes independently. The initiative brings together federal agencies such as the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), U.S. Marshals Service, and other partners with state and local law enforcement.

During the investigation, Attorney General Todd Blanche said law enforcement seized 21 firearms.

Blanche also said the drug trafficking organization was allegedly responsible for the distribution of at least 340 kilograms of fentanyl or fentanyl-laced narcotics, and at least 2,200 kilograms of cocaine, along with various other illicit drugs.

The gang generated over $49 million in proceeds from its trafficking operation, Blanche added.

According to the indictment, the gang’s operation began in 2021 and targeted entire public housing projects in Mayagüez and nearby neighborhoods, exposing residents to violence and chaos.

The indictment further states that gang members retaliated over perceived threats to its organization or its members and responded with violence, including shootings, kidnappings, and murders.

The DOJ on Thursday published a list of the names of the 81 defendants in the case, saying they all acted in different roles for the criminal enterprise, such as leaders, suppliers, runners, sellers, and lookouts.

If convicted of the drug charges, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. If convicted of both the drug and firearms charges, they face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.