Orlando, Florida United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of two indictments charging 13 individuals in 2 drug conspiracies in the Orlando area. According to the redacted indictments, the below individuals are in custody and charged with conspiring with each other, and others, to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute the following amounts, or more, of fentanyl and cocaine. Several of these individuals face enhanced penalties due to their previous criminal convictions.
Defendant
Drug Quantity Alleged
Potential Penalties
Alexander Acosta-Zapata
5 kilograms of cocaine
400 grams of fentanyl
15 years to life incarceration,
up to $20 million fine, and
10 years to life supervised release
Frank Cadiz
5 kilograms of cocaine
15 years to life incarceration,
up to $20 million fine, and
10 years to life supervised release
Jonathan Andres Marte-Rodriguez
5 kilograms of cocaine
10 years to life incarceration,
up to $10 million fine, and
5 years to life supervised release
Juan Felipe Sanchez
40 grams of fentanyl
10 years to life incarceration,
up to $8 million fine, and
8 years to life supervised release
Nimesh Rashmikant Patel
500 grams of cocaine
10 years to life incarceration,
up to $8 million fine, and
8 years to life supervised release
Joseph Juan Torres-Torres
500 grams of cocaine
5 to 40 years incarceration,
up to $5 million fine, and
4 years to life supervised release
Carlos Alberto Roman
40 grams of fentanyl and cocaine
5 to 40 years incarceration,
up to $5 million fine, and
4 years to life supervised release
Kenneth Angel Vera
cocaine
up to 20 years incarceration,
up to $1 million fine, and
3 years to life supervised release
According to court documents, the conspirators were involved in multiple drug trafficking operations to distribute kilogram-quantities of cocaine and fentanyl. During course of this investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) estimates that 91 kilograms of cocaine has been seized through the mail and traffic stops initiated during this investigation. Many of the intercepted communications specifically related to the brand or logo of the cocaine anchor or Ferrari that was visible on the exterior of the packaging of the cocaine that was seized.
In the course of executing arrest warrants and search warrants at numerous locations in the Orlando area today, DEA seized an additional two and half kilograms of suspected cocaine, an unquantified amount of suspected fentanyl, more than twenty firearms, six suppressors, two flash grenades, and nine vehicles that were used in the commission of these offenses or were proceeds of the offenses.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant ispresumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Winter Garden Police Department, the Orange County Sheriffs Office, the Kissimmee Police Department, the Winter Park Police Department, the Clermont Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, the Apopka Police Department, the Ocoee Police Department, the Osceola County Sheriffs Office, and the Seminole County Sheriffs Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.
Operation Titan Fall is a multi-agency Organize Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCEDTF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found atwww.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Source: U.S. Secret Service