U.S. authorities have charged 81 alleged members of Los Baja Deo, a violent drug-trafficking organization accused of operating across western Puerto Rico and generating nearly $50 million in illegal proceeds.

The U.S. Justice Department announced the massive federal operation on August 27, revealing that 70 of the defendants were arrested during a coordinated takedown led by the FBI and Puerto Rico Police Department.

Authorities accuse Los Baja Deo, also known as LBD, of trafficking huge quantities of fentanyl, cocaine and other drugs while using shootings, kidnappings and killings to protect its operations.

Nearly $50 Million in Alleged Drug Proceeds

Federal prosecutors say Los Baja Deo had been operating since at least 2021, distributing drugs throughout Mayagüez and other communities in western Puerto Rico.

The scale alleged by investigators is enormous.

Authorities estimate the organization was responsible for distributing at least 340 kilograms of fentanyl or fentanyl-laced narcotics and approximately 2,200 kilograms of cocaine, in addition to heroin, crack cocaine and marijuana.

The organization allegedly generated more than $49.7 million in proceeds during the conspiracy.

Investigators say drugs were sold around numerous public housing communities and neighbourhoods in and around Mayagüez.

Authorities also allege members transported kilogram quantities of cocaine and fentanyl and sent controlled substances to the continental United States through the U.S. Postal Service.

Violence Used to Protect the Organization

The indictment describes Los Baja Deo as much more than a drug-distribution network.

Prosecutors allege members used violence when they believed the organization or its members were being threatened.

That violence allegedly included shootings, murders, kidnappings and assaults.

Members are accused of serving different roles within the organization, including leaders, drug-point owners, suppliers, enforcers, sellers, runners, lookouts and facilitators.

Twenty-one of the 81 defendants also face charges involving possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Law enforcement says 21 firearms were seized during the investigation.

Massive Operation to Make Arrests

The scale of the takedown was significant.

The FBI and Puerto Rico Police led the arrests with assistance from the DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Border Patrol, Puerto Rico National Guard and several other federal and local agencies.

FBI Director Kash Patel said 13 SWAT teams and additional specialized resources were deployed as part of the operation.

U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche travelled to San Juan to announce the charges.

Federal authorities described Los Baja Deo as one of western Puerto Rico’s most violent drug-trafficking organizations and said the operation was designed to dismantle its leadership and distribution network.

Part of a Bigger U.S. Crackdown

The Puerto Rico operation is part of the U.S. government’s broader Homeland Security Task Force initiative targeting drug-trafficking organizations, criminal gangs and transnational criminal networks.

The announcement also comes as U.S. authorities increase cooperation with governments throughout Latin America and the Caribbean against organizations involved in international narcotics trafficking.

Puerto Rico’s location between the Caribbean, Latin America and the continental United States has long made the island strategically important to international drug-trafficking routes.

Federal authorities allege Los Baja Deo exploited those connections while simultaneously controlling street-level drug distribution in communities in western Puerto Rico.

If convicted on the primary drug charges, defendants could face sentences ranging from a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in federal prison. Defendants facing both qualifying drug and firearms charges could face a minimum of 15 years.

The charges remain allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

But with 81 people indicted and 70 arrested in a single operation, the Los Baja Deo takedown represents one of the largest federal anti-gang operations Puerto Rico has seen recently.