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Convictions through guilty pleas and sentencings in Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) prosecutions (Sept. 14 through Sept. 18, 2026)

 

Date: Sept. 23, 2026

Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov

San Juan, PR – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, Héctor Ramírez-Carbó, Acting United States Attorney, in conjunction with our partner agencies in the Homeland Security Task Force (“HSTF”) announce the following prosecutorial results for the week of Sept. 14 through Sept. 18, 2026. The HSTF is a permanent, interagency law enforcement task force created by executive order to combat transnational criminal organizations—including cartels, trafficking networks, and foreign terrorist organizations. 

Convictions through guilty pleas

  • On Sept. 14, 2026, Winder José González pleaded guilty to Count One of the Indictment in Criminal Case 24-350 (CVR). According to the indictment, the defendant was charged with conspiracy to import from Colombia more than five kilograms of cocaine. Defendant was arrested on Dec. 9, 2024, in Colombia and extradited to Puerto Rico on Oct. 31, 2025. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for Dec. 14, 2026. AUSA Camille García-Jiménez is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
  • On Sept. 16, 2026, Josué Raúl Cantres-Ríos pleaded guilty to Count One in Criminal Case 25-365 (RAM). According to the indictment, the defendant was charged with a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Defendant was arrested on Sept. 9, 2025. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for Dec. 15, 2026. AUSA Andrés L. Orr is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
  • On Sept. 16, 2026, Frambel Rijos-Hernández, a.k.a. “Domi” pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking in Criminal Case 24-453 (MAJ). According to the indictment, the defendant was charged with participating in a drug trafficking organization that worked out of various public housing projects in the Carolina and San Juan municipalities, including the Sabana Abajo Public Housing Project and with possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking. Defendant was arrested on Dec. 13, 2024. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for Dec. 16, 2026. AUSAs Laura Díaz González and Joseph Russell are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
  • On Sept. 17, 2026, Steve Vegeli Negrón pleaded guilty to Count One of the Indictment in Criminal Case 24-456 (SCC). According to the indictment, the defendant was charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances within prison institutions. Defendant was arrested on Dec. 17, 2024. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for Dec. 13, 2026. AUSA Myriam Y. Fernández-González in charge of the prosecution of the case.
  • On Sept. 17, 2026, Francisco Martínez-Mendoza pleaded guilty to Count One in Criminal Case 25-275 (RAM). According to the indictment, the defendant was charged with conspiracy to commit wire, bank and mail fraud. Defendant was arrested on June 17, 2025. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for Dec. 16, 2026. SAUSA Vanessa D. Bonano-Rodríguez is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
  • On Sept. 17, 2026, Alexander Rodríguez-Luna pleaded guilty to count one and six in Criminal Case 22-327 (PAD). According to the indictment, the defendant was charged with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances in the Pedro Rosario Nieves Public Housing Project and other areas in and around Fajardo, Puerto Rico, while also carrying firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Defendant was arrested on July 27, 2022. The Court set defendant’s sentencing date for Dec. 21, 2026. AUSA Corinne Cordero-Romo is in charge of the prosecution of the case.

Sentencings

  • On Sept. 14, 2026, Ramón Camilo Rodríguez López was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Camille L. Vélez-Rivé to a term of imprisonment of 60 months and four (4) years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute at least 2 kilograms but less than 3.5 kilograms of cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B)(ii) and 18 U.S.C. § 2. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on May 22, 2025, in Criminal Case Number 25-245 (CVR), and pleaded guilty on June 12, 2026. SAUSA Edwin Cabán Jr. is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
  • On Sept. 15, 2026, Luis Pérez Colón was sentenced by United States District Court María Antongiorgi Jordán to 168 months (14 years) of imprisonment and 8 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on Dec. 5, 2024, in Criminal Case 24-453 (MAJ) and pleaded guilty on June 9, 2026. AUSAs Laura Díaz-González and Joseph Russell in charge of the prosecution of the case.
  • On Sept. 15, 2026, Edwin Correa Toro was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Camille L. Vélez-Rivé to a 120-month term of imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release on Count One of the Indictment, 25-144-01 (CVR) charging the defendant with conspiracy to import cocaine in the amount of approximately 340 kilograms of cocaine. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on March 20, 2025, in Criminal Case 25-144 (CVR), and pleaded guilty on May 19, 2026. AUSA Luis A. Valentín is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
  • On Sept. 16, 2026, Ángel L. Sanjurjo was sentenced by United States District Court María Antongiorgi Jordán to 195 months of imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on Dec. 5, 2024, in Criminal Case 24-453 (MAJ) and pleaded guilty on June 11, 2026. AUSAs Laura Díaz-González and Joseph Russell in charge of the prosecution of the case.
  • On Sept. 15, 2026, Yasiel Morales López was sentenced by United States District Court María Antongiorgi Jordán to 144 months of imprisonment and 8 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on Dec. 5, 2024, in Criminal Case 24-453 (MAJ) and pleaded guilty on June 11, 2026. AUSAs Laura Díaz-González and Joseph Russell in charge of the prosecution of the case.
  • On Sept. 16, 2026, Efraín Ramírez-Cortés was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Raúl M. Arias-Marxuach to fifty-four (54) months of imprisonment and six (6) years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on Sept. 3, 2025, in Criminal Case 25-365 (RAM), and pleaded guilty on June 18, 2026. AUSA Andrés L. Orr is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
  • On Sept. 17, 2026, Gregorio Sánchez Chala was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Raúl M. Arias-Marxuach to a 180-month term of imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release on each count to run concurrently, namely Counts One thru Six of the Superseding Indictment charging narcotics related offenses relating to the importation of 250 kilograms of cocaine. According to court documents, defendant was charged by a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico on Feb. 19, 2025, in Criminal case 22-234-01 (RAM), and pleaded guilty to all charges on March 13, 2026. AUSA Luis A. Valentín is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
  • On Sept. 17, 2026, Leomar Jesús Capote-Ramos was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Sylvia L. Carreño-Coll to a 46-month term of imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute in excess of 5 kilos of cocaine aboard a vessel of the United States; possession with the intent to distribute in excess of 5 kilos of cocaine aboard a vessel of the United States and aiding and abetting; conspiracy to import cocaine in excess of 5 kilos of cocaine; and attempted importation in excess of 5 kilos of cocaine and aiding and abetting in case 24-132 (SCC). According to court documents, defendant was indicted on April 3, 2024, and pleaded guilty on April 14, 2026. AUSA Luis A. Valentín is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
  • On Sept. 18, 2026, Dannyshka Tosada-Sánchez was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Pedro A. Delgado-Hernández to time served and five (5) years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on March 12, 2025, in Criminal Case 25-125 (PAD), and pleaded guilty on April 27, 2026. AUSA Andrés L. Orr is in charge of the prosecution of the case.

These prosecutions are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.

HSTF San Juan comprises agents and officers from the following federal partners: FBI, ICE-HSI, CBP (OFO, AMO and Border Patrol), the U.S. Marshals Service for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, DEA, ATF, IRS, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of State, and the U.S. Secret Service, the Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands HIDTA, TSA, FAA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The HSTF also has the following state and local law enforcement partners as participating agencies: the Puerto Rico Police Department; the San Juan, Carolina, Guaynabo, Barceloneta, and Ponce Municipal Police Departments, the Puerto Rico National Guard – Counter Drug Program; the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Service (Hacienda); the Puerto Rico Port Authority; and the Virgin Islands Police Department.

IRS-CI is the law enforcement arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. It is the only federal law enforcement agency with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code. IRS-CI has 16 field offices located across the U.S. and maintains an international presence through attaché posts abroad.