US charges over 80 in Puerto Rico gang takedown

Federal prosecutors have charged more than 80 people in a significant takedown of a violent gang operating in Puerto Rico. Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the charges Thursday during a visit to the island, framing the operation as part of the Trump administration's broader strategy to combat violent crime.

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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.

The gang, identified as "Los Baja Deo," is accused of trafficking fentanyl, cocaine, and other illegal drugs from Mayagüez for years, amassing an estimated $50 million in proceeds. Authorities also link the group to numerous violent acts, including shootings, killings, kidnappings, and assaults, and allege the distribution of at least 340 kilograms of fentanyl or fentanyl-laced narcotics.

"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," Blanche stated. His presence in Puerto Rico underscores the administration's commitment to highlighting its efforts against drug trafficking and violence fueled by such organizations.

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These 81 violent gang members will now face justice and so will any other that try to take their place.

Héctor Ramírez-Carbó, the acting U.S. attorney for Puerto Rico, emphasized the impact on local communities, saying, "Today, the families of Mayagüez can peacefully enjoy what their communities have to offer without fear of harm." He added, "These 81 violent gang members will now face justice and so will any other that try to take their place."

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Today, the families of Mayagüez can peacefully enjoy what their communities have to offer without fear of harm.