Federal authorities served 28 arrest warrants against members of an organization that sold "large quantities" of drugs in several towns in southern Puerto Rico. Thirteen of the defendants indicted by a Federal Grand Jury were already in jail; the rest were arrested, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) spokesman Tony Velázquez confirmed to WAPA Digital. The municipalities affected were Juana Díaz, Ponce, Coamo, Villalba and Orocovis.
The defendants are accused of trafficking crack, heroin, fentanyl, marijuana and cocaine, and are also linked to several killings. The operation was named "The Rainbow Dope Dealers" because the organization painted the bags of substances it sold in different colors. "They painted the crack different colors for sale, that’s what characterized them," Velázquez said.
The DEA is leading the effort together with U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) inspectors and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). All detainees are being taken to a coliseum in the area for initial processing. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is expected to provide more details at a press conference.
The day before, officers from the Auxiliary Superintendency for Special Operations (SAOE) and several other Police divisions carried out 66 arrest warrants in southwestern municipalities in an effort called "Impacto Suroeste," to file criminal charges for unlicensed weapons sales, possession of semiautomatic long guns, and sale and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute.