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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Alanna Durkin Richer

Justice Department charges more than 80 people in Puerto Rico gang takedown

Trump - (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The U.S. Justice Department has charged more than 80 people in the takedown of a violent Puerto Rican gang, Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Thursday during a visit to the island as part of the Trump administration's efforts to highlight its push to tackle violent crime.

Federal prosecutors say the gang known as “Los Baja Deo” for years trafficked fentanyl, cocaine and other illegal drugs from the west coast city of Mayagüez, generating nearly $50 million in proceeds. The group is also responsible for shootings, killings, kidnappings and assaults and the distribution of at least 340 kilograms of fentanyl or fentanyl-laced narcotics, Blanche said.

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