March 12, 2004 – A federal grand jury sitting on St. Thomas has indicted two men on charges of possession and intent to distribute heroin and cocaine.
Gabriel Gregorio Santana, 36, and Luis Rosario Vazquez, 44, are charged with three counts each, U.S. Attorney David Nissman said in a release issued on Friday.
One count alleges that the men and other unindicted co-conspirators conspired to possess the drugs with intent to distribute them. The other two counts charge that the defendants were in possession, respectively, of cocaine and of heroin, in each case with intent to distribute the substance.
According to the release, Santana, a native of the Dominican Republic, was arrested last April after being observed handing Vazquez, born in Puerto Rico, a cooler containing 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds) of heroin and 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of cocaine. "Vazquez was on a boat at the time and immediately sped away, heading toward Puerto Rico," the release said. "Vazquez was stopped approximately one hour later, and was found in possession of the cooler containing the drugs."
The agents involved in the apprehension of the suspects "were acting on previous intelligence," the release said. Nissman cited Jerome Harris, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration special agent in charge, and the DEA field offices on St. Thomas and in Fajardo, P.R., for their work on the case.
Each of the counts carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison, along with a fine of $5 million.
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