Federal authorities announced yesterday, August 27, 2026, that 81 members of a violent drug trafficking organization known as Los Baja Deo, or LBD, have been federally charged in Puerto Rico. The charges follow an investigation by the Homeland Security Task Force, which culminated in the arrest of 70 defendants.
Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that the organization maintained a steady supply of highly addictive and potentially lethal substances, endangering communities and fueling addiction in public housing projects and neighborhoods in Mayagüez and surrounding areas. Law enforcement seized 21 firearms during the investigation. It is estimated that the organization was responsible for distributing at least 340 kilograms of fentanyl or fentanyl-laced narcotics and at least 2,200 kilograms of cocaine, generating over $49 million in proceeds.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ramírez-Carbó for the District of Puerto Rico emphasized the commitment to removing violent gangs and pursuing those who poison communities with dangerous drugs. FBI Director Kash Patel noted the indictments targeted a Mayagüez transnational criminal organization involved in large-scale narcotics trafficking across Puerto Rico, including sending controlled substances to the continental United States via the U.S. Postal Service, generating millions in illicit proceeds annually. The FBI mobilized significant resources for the takedown, including 13 SWAT teams and CIRG pilots.
Special Agent in Charge Carlos R. Goris of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office highlighted the meticulous work by teams in Aguadilla, stating that the arrests disrupted one of western Puerto Rico’s most violent drug-trafficking organizations, dismantling its leadership and distribution networks. Puerto Rico Police Superintendent Joseph González affirmed the police department’s commitment to working with the Homeland Security Task Force to dismantle criminal and drug trafficking organizations.
The indictment alleges that since 2021, the organization distributed heroin, fentanyl, crack cocaine, cocaine, and marijuana within 1,000 feet of numerous public housing projects and wards in Mayagüez, including Sábalo Gardens Public Housing Project, Cuesta Las Piedras Public Housing Project, and Yagüez Public Housing Project, among others. The conspiracy involved distributing wholesale and street quantities of controlled substances and trafficking illegal firearms and ammunition. Members used two-way radios, cell phones, instant messaging, and social media for communication. The gang resorted to violence, including shootings, kidnappings, and murders, to protect its interests and members.
Defendants held various roles, such as leaders, drug point owners, suppliers, enforcers, runners, sellers, lookouts, and facilitators. Twenty-one defendants face an additional charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted on drug charges, defendants face a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison. Those convicted of both drug and firearms charges face a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison. All defendants are subject to a narcotics forfeiture allegation of over $49.7 million.
The investigation involved the FBI, the Puerto Rico Police Department Mayagüez Strike Force, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Agencies collaborating during the arrests included the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Border Patrol, and the Puerto Rico National Guard–Counterdrug Program.
