The US federal prosecution has requested a protective order for evidence in the case against Manuel Antonio Valentín Vega, also known as 'Nano' or 'el Viejo', and five other co-defendants, including Rafael Ángel Ruiz Garces, César Carrero Martínez, Luis Irizarry Zapata, and Luis Rivera Quiñonez. Valentín Vega, the son of the late former mayor of Añasco, Antonio 'Toño' Valentín Vega, is accused of leading the criminal organization 'La Empresa', which allegedly smuggled cocaine from Colombia, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic into Puerto Rico, with the final destination being the US.
The prosecution, led by Myriam Y. Fernández González and Antonio L. Pérez Alonso, filed the motion on October 5, seeking to restrict the disclosure of sensitive information, including personal data and financial records, to protect the privacy and security of third parties. The defendants have until October 19 to respond to the motion. If granted, the protective order would allow the defense to show discovery materials to potential witnesses for investigative purposes, but with certain restrictions, such as explaining the conditions of the order and obtaining a signed document from the witnesses acknowledging their acceptance of the conditions.
Valentín Vega was arrested in May and faces 23 charges, including organized crime, narcotics trafficking, murder, and money laundering.