U.S. Department of Justice Marcos Daniel Jiménez United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida
	99 N.E. 4th Street Miami, FL 33132 (305) 961-9001

DRUG TRAFFICKING AND MONEY LAUNDERING CONSPIRATORS INDICTED

Marcos Daniel Jiménez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Jesus Torres, Special Agent in Charge, Immigration & Customs Enforcement; Thomas W. Raffanello, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration; Amos Rojas, Jr., Regional Director, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, John Timoney, Chief of Police, City of Miami Police Department, and Robert Parker, Director, Miami-Dade Police Department, announced today that on April 30, 2004, a federal grand jury sitting in Miami, Florida, returned a Superseding Indictment charging Reniel Pinales, a/k/a “Daniel,” a/k/a “Danny,” Jeremias Richardson Araujo, a/k/a “Richard,” Welington Paez, a/k/a “Ruben Santiago,” Juan Matos Sanchez, and Maria Paez Aponte, a/k/a “Maria Araujo,” with one count of conspiracy to distribute 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine hydrochloride (commonly referred to as “MDMA” or “Ecstasy”), in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 846; and Reniel Pinales, a/k/a “Daniel,” a/k/a “Danny,” Jeremias Richardson Araujo, a/k/a “Richard,” Juan Matos- Sanchez, and Maria Paez Aponte, a/k/a “Maria Araujo,” with one count of possessing with the intent to distribute 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine hydrochloride, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1). The Superseding Indictment also charges Reniel Pinales, a/k/a “Daniel,” a/k/a “Danny,” Jeremias Richardson Araujo, a/k/a “Richard,” Welington Paez, a/k/a “Ruben Santiago,” Juan Matos-Sanchez, Maria Paez Aponte, a/k/a “Maria Araujo,” John Lantigua, Janet Martinez, a/k/a “Alexandra Martinez,” Freddy Marte, Freddy DeJesus, Mirian Gonzalez, a/k/a “Rosa Gonzalez,” a/k/a “Arelis Gonzalez,” Cristina Gonzalez, Junis Marte, Kenia Lantigua, a/k/a “Kenia Pinales,” Lindy Gonzalez, Ana Marie Gonzalez, Marvin Norori, Lidia Rodriguez, a/k/a “Lidia Simon,” Jose Calvente Pagan, Francisco Leonardo, Oscar Henriquez, Ana Henriquez, Mirtha Bastardo, Filiberto Gonzalez, Ana Gloria Kuchenbaur, Niurka Guillermina Marte, a/k/a “Niurka Roa-Perez,” Pilar Altagracia Perez-Haas, Rosa Iris Paula, Damaso Bastardo, Ingrid Mercedes Santana, Alexandra Abreu, Leiny Mojica, Wolf Dieter Kuchenbaur, Marlon DeJesus Hurtado, Martha Berenice Bastardo, Deny Pena-Gonzalez, and Esaul Urena with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(h). In total, thirty-six (36) defendants are charged in the Superseding Indictment.

The Superseding Indictment was unsealed today with the arrests of a number of the defendants. Thirty-one defendants were arrested today. Five defendants were previously arrested. Those defendants charged with conspiracy to posses with intent to distribute ecstacy face a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years and a maximum fine of $2,000,000. Those defendants charged with possession with intent to distribute ecstacy also face a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years and a maximum fine of $2,000,000. The defendants charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering face a maximum term of twenty (20) years’ imprisonment and a maximum fine of at least $500,000.

The Superseding Indictment is based on more than three years of investigation conducted by law enforcement components of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) as part of “Operation Nexus.” The task force includes the Immigration & Customs Enforcement, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. This case also involves the international cooperation of Netherlands law enforcement, as well as federal law enforcement agencies located in California, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Based on information presented during several pre-trial detention hearings, the defendants were members of an international drug trafficking conspiracy that recruited foreign nationals to smuggle MDMA into Miami from Europe. The organization then employed defendants - those charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering - to remit the proceeds of the narcotics sales to the Netherlands and the Dominican Republic. United States and Netherlands law enforcement officials have directly linked approximately at least 200,000 ecstasy pills to the international smuggling organization. These figures are based upon several seizures occurring at Miami International Airport and other domestic airports, as well as information provided by cooperating defendant witnesses over the course of the investigation. In addition, law enforcement officers have directly linked approximately $2.5 million in ecstasy trafficking proceeds remitted to the Netherlands and the Dominican Republic by members of the money laundering arm of the organization.

Mr. Jiménez commended the investigative efforts of Immigration & Customs Enforcement, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the City of Miami Police Department, and the Miami-Dade Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Bryan.

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