In a recent court ruling, a Dominican Republic national has been sentenced to more than 13 years in prison for his involvement in an international drug trafficking operation.
The operation utilized various Caribbean ports as part of its strategy to distribute cocaine into the United States.
Key details of the case
Court documents reveal that 55-year-old Lazaro Viton Rodriguez was sentenced to 13 years and one month in prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute over 2,000 pounds of cocaine illegally imported into the United States.
His involvement spanned from 2014 to May 2019, during which he played a significant role in a drug trafficking network operating from the Dominican Republic.
Operation logistics
The drug trafficking network employed a system, utilizing vessels such as sailing yachts and sport fishing boats to transport cocaine from South America through the Caribbean and into the United States.
These vessels made stops at various Caribbean ports to provide a veneer of legitimacy to each voyage.
One notable interception occurred in November 2018 when the US Customs and Border Protection’s Marine Interdiction Unit seized the vessel Casablanca as it entered US waters near Key Biscayne, Florida.
During the search of the Casablanca, law enforcement officers discovered over 327 kilograms of cocaine.
Rodriguez’s role
Rodriguez played a crucial role in the operation, involving himself in purchasing, registering, and maintaining the vessels used for transporting cocaine.
He facilitated the registration of vessels under the names of straw purchasers and oversaw the construction of secret compartments on the vessels to conceal the illicit cargo.
Additionally, Rodriguez coordinated with crew members via satellite phone as they navigated through Caribbean waters to pick up cocaine shipments.
Rodriguez pleaded guilty in November last year to participating in a conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine for importation into the United States.
