Southern District of Florida | Twelve Defendants, Including Members of International Criminal Gangs, Indicted in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy in South Florida

MIAMI – An indictment has been unsealed charging 12 suspects, including members of international criminal gangs MS-13, Sur-13 and the Mexican Mafia, with drug offenses in and around Broward and Miami-Dade counties in the Southern District of Florida.

The 12-count indictment charges Edgar Garcia-Velasquez, aka “Diablo,” 34, a citizen of Honduras, Francisco Rangel, aka “Casper,” 41, of California, Gabriela Rodriguez-Carrillo, 42, of California, Luis Portillo, aka “Shadow,” aka “Sombra,” 35, of Miami, Jose Puga, aka “Stranger,” 45, of California, Malinda Martinez, 42, of Fort Myers, Fla., Karina Martinez-Vazquez, 34, of Miami, Rafael Gutierrez, aka “Rafy,” 28, of Miami, Jose Hernandez, aka “Blue Demon,” aka “Labomba3,” 39, of Belle Glade, Fla., Loupe Loredo, aka “L3g3nd,” 39, of Lake Wales, Fla., Felipe Gonzalez, aka “Wicked,” 41, of Calif., and Hugo Cruz, also known as “Houdini,” 33, of LaBelle, Fla., with conspiring with each other, their co-defendants and others to possess 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

The indictment accuses Garcia-Velasquez, Rodriguez-Carrillo, Puga, Gonzalez and Martinez Vazquez of conspiring with each other, their co-defendants and others to possess with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

Garcia-Velazquez, Rodriguez-Carrillo, Martinez, Portillo, Gutierrez, Puga, Loredo and Martinez Vazquez face additional charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

Arrests of the suspects began on September 12th at various locations and they then began making their initial appearances in the Southern District of Florida. If found guilty, all suspects face life in prison.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami; Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division; and Sheriff Gregory Tony of the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) made the announcement.

HSI Fort Lauderdale, FBI Miami, ATF Fort Lauderdale, DEA Miami and BSO investigated this case with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Fort Myers, FBI Los Angeles and FBI Fort Myers. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertila Fernandez is prosecuting the case.

This prosecution is part of an investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by utilizing a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

An indictment contains accusations and all suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

You can find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-60174.

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