SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department has charged over 80 individuals in connection with the dismantling of a violent gang in Puerto Rico, as announced by Attorney General Todd Blanche during a visit to the island on Thursday. This initiative is part of the Trump administration's efforts to address violent crime.
Federal prosecutors identified the gang as "Los Baja Deo," which has been involved in trafficking fentanyl, cocaine, and other illegal drugs from Mayagüez, generating nearly $50 million in revenue. The gang is also linked to shootings, killings, kidnappings, assaults, and the distribution of at least 340 kilograms of fentanyl or fentanyl-laced narcotics, according to Blanche.
Blanche stated, "Our Homeland Security Task Forces around the country are unified and they're unified to end the presence of criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations around the United States."
His visit to Puerto Rico highlights the administration's focus on combating drug trafficking and violence in U.S. communities. The Trump administration has significantly altered the Justice Department's priorities to emphasize illegal immigration and violent crime.
Acting U.S. Attorney for Puerto Rico, Héctor Ramírez-Carbó, remarked, "These 81 violent gang members will now face justice and so will any other that try to take their place. Today, the families of Mayagüez can peacefully enjoy what their communities have to offer without fear of harm."