Individual Found Guilty of Drug Trafficking

US Attorney's Office, San Juan

Press Release

April 22, 2017

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Yesterday, after a two day trial, a jury found Luciano Mendoza-Garcia guilty of drug trafficking charges, announced United States Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. United States District Court Chief Judge Aida Delgado presided over the trial.

On October 13, 2016, the defendant Luciano Mendoza-Garcia and Jorge Balbuena-Peguero were arrested in the high seas during a high speed maritime interdiction were 56 kilograms of cocaine were recovered. On October 19, 2016 a federal grand jury indicted Mendoza-Garcia and Balbuena-Peguero charging them with conspiracy to import controlled substances, conspiracy to possess a controlled substance on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and possession of a controlled substance on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, aiding and abetting each other.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Montes and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Smith were in charge of the prosecution of the case. The defendant faces a minimum mandatory term of imprisonment of 10 years.

Puerto Rico News Digest For January 26, 2016

INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL SHUTS DOWN CASINO

From Caribbean Business:

"The casino at the Intercontinental San Juan Hotel, in the Isla Verde sector
of Carolina, closed down operations Monday, the hotel’s management ann-
ounced. It is the ninth casino to close in Puerto Rico in the past five years.
“The operations at InterContinental San Juan Hotel are not affected by this
decision and all aspects related to such will proceed without interruption,”
reads a short statement by the company. “It has been public knowledge that
the casino industry in Puerto Rico has declined in recent years and the casi-
no at the InterContinental San Juan Hotel has also been affected by the si-
tuation,” it added..."

PRISON INMATE MEALS AT RISK

From The San Juan Daily Star:

"New Progressive Party (NPP) Rep. Ángel Muñoz Suárez on Friday deman-
ded concrete answers from designated Corrections Department Secretary Ei-
nar Ramos regarding “the chaotic state the island’s prisons are in, including
the possibility of suspending meal services to more than 20,000 prisoners in
the system.” The NPP lawmaker added that he will be introducing legisla-
tion in the lower chamber so that an immediate investigation can take place
into how the agency’s budget is being used, “particularly regarding where
the assigned funds to purchase foods are going.” The government owes so-
me $11.8 million to Trinity Services LLC, the company that has supplied
food for the past 13 years to the island’s prisons..."

GOVERNOR PARDONS MARIJUANA CONVICT

From Fox News Latino:

"Puerto Rican authorities on Monday released the only citizen remaining 

in jail for smoking marijuana after Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla granted 

the convict a conditional pardon. Jeremy Ruiz Tomassini, 24, had been im-

prisoned for 15 months in the Guerrero de Aguadilla jail after being sen-

tenced to four years behind bars for smoking pot near a school. In October 

2014, and amid a full debate regarding decriminalizing marijuana, Ruiz's 

conviction sparked numerous protests by those arguing that his sentence 

was disproportionate to the crime and would ruin his life..."

7 ARRESTED OVER COCAINE ON CRUISE SHIP

From The Daily Star:

"U.S. authorities say they have arrested seven people after finding 24 po-

unds (11 kilograms) of cocaine aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship just 

before it was to set off on a cruise from San Juan, Puerto Rico. U.S. Cust-

oms and Border Protection said Monday that a dog doing cabin inspections 

aboard the MS Jewel of the Seas found the drugs on Sunday..."

FIRST RED LOBSTER TO OPEN IN DECEMBER

From News Is My Business:

"Puerto Rican firm Restaurant Operators Inc. announced Monday that cons-
truction on the first Red Lobster restaurant in Puerto Rico will begin in May,
through an investment of $2 million. The eatery will open in December 2016
at the Plaza Las Américas shopping center in Hato Rey. The new 7,000 square
-foot restaurant will generate 125 new jobs, ROI executives said. The future
Red Lobster will open in the area formerly occupied by Banco Santander, and
will have the capacity to host 230 guests..."

Puerto Rico News Digest For January 15, 2016

GOV'T TO MAKE BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS

From News Is My Business:

"The government of Puerto Rico is making budget adjustments amoun-
ting to some $254 million, which is about half of the shortfall in revenue
collections the Treasury Department anticipated late last year. In a news
conference at La Fortaleza, Luis Cruz, executive director of the Office
of Management and Budget, confirmed a reduction in the budgets for
agencies offering health, security and education services. The govern-
ment will also not be making payments to the Commonwealth retire-
ment system and will clawback about $119 million in revenue that was
supposed to be directed for payments on the Puerto Rico Infrastructure
Financing Authority debt..."

MAYOR OF GUAYANILLA RESIGNS

From The San Juan Daily Star:

"Guayanilla Mayor Edgardo Arlequín Vélez finally resigned his post after
being suspended on March 6, 2015 and less than a month after being sen-
tenced to four years in prison for sexual misconduct and using his post for
benefits, according to Inter News Service. Popular Democratic Party (PDP)
spokesman Ángel Raúl Matos said the resignation will become final once
the municipal legislature formally accepts it..."

COCAINE FOUND IN BUSHES IN ISABELA BEACH

From Military.Com:

"Federal authorities announced Monday that they discovered more than
$4 million worth of cocaine stashed in bushes along Puerto Rico's north
coast as they find more drug shipments but with smaller payloads in the
U.S. Caribbean. Some 340 pounds (154 kilograms) of cocaine were found
at a popular beach in the town of Isabela, according to U.S. Customs and
Border Protection. One man was arrested. It's one of the largest seizures in
recent months..."

PUERTO RICANS WIN POWERBALL PRIZES

From Caribbean Business:

"In Puerto Rico, the winning tickets for four $100,00 prizes were purcha-
sed at La Borinqueña in Caguas, La Milagrosa store in Camuy and the
other two in Plaza Loíza del Norte Shopping Center in San Juan, said
Armando Pérez Cruz, assistant director at the Electronic Lottery of Pu-
erto Rico. The winners of the $50,000 prizes made their plays at Cabre-
ra Services Station in San Juan and the San Gabriel Pharmacy in Caro-
lina..."

CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER DROWNS IN DORADO

From Yahoo! News:

"Authorities in Puerto Rico say a cruise ship passenger from California
has drowned along the U.S. territory's north coast amid rough seas. Au-
thorities say the 71-year-old from Angeles was swept away Thursday
along with his brother-in-law in the popular beach town of Dorado..."