U.S. Department of Justice

Federal Bureau of Investigation

San Juan, Puerto Rico

November 10 , 2005

INDICTMENTS/ARREST WARRANTS "OPERATION LUMBERJACK"

H.S. Garcia, United States Attorney, District of Puerto Rico, Luis S. Fraticelli, Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the FBI in Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands; Jerome Harris SAC of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Puerto Rico and Pedro Toledo, Superintendent, Police of Puerto Rico, announced the federal indictments of sixteen (16) individuals on weapons violations, conspiracy and possession with intend to manufacture and distribute controlled substances in Puerto Rico.

On November 9, 2005, the Federal Court for the District of Puerto Rico returned indictments charging sixteen (16) subjects with Manufacture and Distribution of a Controlled Substance, in violation of Title 21, USC, Section 841 (a)(1); Conspiracy, in violation of Title 21, USC, Section 846; Unlawful Possession of Firearms, in violation of Title 18, USC, Section 924 (c)(1) and Conspiracy to Possess Firearms, in violation of Title 18 USC, Section 924 (O).

This two year investigation was successfully conducted by the FBI San Juan, the Police of Puerto Rico and DEA assisted by FBI Cleveland. This investigation has resulted in the disruption and eventual dismantlement of a large criminal organization which has been in operation for more than four years in Puerto Rico. The Las Palmas gang has close ties with another criminal street gang in the metropolitan Cleveland, Ohio area, which was indicted in the Northern District Ohio in May of 2005. Known gang members of the Las Palmas Gang frequently travel to and from the City of Lorain, Ohio to avoid prosecution in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Four of the indicted subjects were located in the metropolitan Cleveland, Ohio area.

The criminal activities of the Las Palmas Gang consisted of possession and distribution of large quantities of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, weapons' violations, and extremely violent acts to support their criminal enterprise. The organization's area of operation was primarily centered around the Municipality of Coamo, Puerto Rico and neighboring towns. The gang in its attempt to expand its criminal enterprise well beyond its original domain, caused a violent drug/turf war with rival gangs. The Las Palmas Gang was also known to use minors to facilitate the distribution of drugs in close proximity to public schools and in US HUD projects.

The following individuals were indicted:

1. JOEL MORENO-ESPADA, resident of Coamo, Puerto Rico, age 30.

2. JOSE RAFAEL VELAZQUEZ-LOPEZ, AKA "BEBE" resident of Coamo, Puerto Rico, age 24.

3. ITHIER RIVERA-SANTIAGO, AKA "ITIEL" resident of Coamo, Puerto Rico, age 24.

4. JOSE A. RIVERA-SANTIAGO, AKA "PELON" resident of Coamo, Puerto Rico, age 24.

5. JOSE RAFAEL ORTIZ-MELENDEZ, AKA "RAFA" OR "EL BOMBERO" resident of Coamo, Puerto Rico, age 24.

6. HECTOR LOPEZ-FLORES, AKA "KIKO" resident of Coamo, Puerto Rico, age 26

7. LUIS DANIEL MELENDEZ-SANCHEZ, AKA "CORITO" resident of Coamo, Puerto Rico, age 25.

8. MIGUEL A. LOPEZ-PAGAN, AKA "MACHO" resident of Coamo, Puerto Rico, age 24.

9. OMAR MORENO-ESPADA resident of Coamo, Puerto Rico, age 25.

10. RAMON L. MARTINEZ-RODRIGUEZ, AKA "SPIDERMAN" resident of Coamo, Puerto Rico, age 19.

11. JOSE G. RIVERA-GONZALEZ, AKA "GIL" resident of Coamo, Puerto Rico, age 37.

12. JOSE E. RIVERA-GONZALEZ, AKA "GEÑO" resident of Coamo, Puerto Rico, age 39.

13. CARLOS JOSE CRUZ-FRANCO, AKA "MARGARO" resident of Coamo, Puerto Rico, age 21.

14. SONIA ESPADA-MALAVE, AKA "LA COJA" resident of Coamo, Puerto Rico, age 30.

15. LIZETTE RIVERA-ESPADA, AKA "PELOTA" resident of Coamo, Puerto Rico, age 27.

16. YARITZA I. FRANCESCHI-MALAVE resident of Coamo, Puerto Rico, age 18.

On November 10, 2005, approximately 100 Agents and Police Officers from the FBI, the DEA and the POPR participated on the arrest of the above subjects without any incident.

JOEL MORENO-ESPADA and JOSE RAFAEL VELAZQUEZ-LOPEZ, AKA "BEBE" were not arrested and are now considered fugitives. Any information about their whereabouts should be directed to the San Juan FBI office at (787)754-6000.

The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial and the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Judith Vargas.