Three Venezuelans Charged with Drug Trafficking after Interception in U.S. Waters in Puerto Rico. The individuals were approached by authorities 30 nautical miles southwest of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
They were brought before the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico after being detained aboard a vessel laden with cocaine.
The three individuals, Gabriel Batista, Enrique Montano, and Adrián Cedeño, were charged with Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine, aboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
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FBI Agent’s Affidavit
On February 7, 2025, Carlos D. Fontanez, a special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), filed a sworn affidavit with the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico supporting a request for a criminal complaint against Gabriel Batista, Enrique Montano, and Adrián Cedeño for drug trafficking offenses.
Fontanez, assigned to the San Juan Field Office and investigating crimes related to cyber intrusions, national security, violent transnational gangs including MS-13, and drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) operating in the United States and Latin America since 2015, stated that he has the training and experience in the areas of interviews and interrogations, evidence recovery, source recruitment, and digital forensics analysis.
The FBI agent noted that his sworn affidavit aims to demonstrate there is probable cause sufficient to criminally charge the defendants, although he cautioned that the information presented is not exhaustive of what he knows regarding the matter.
Thus, based on his experience and oral and written reports from other agents and officers, Carlos D. Fontanez believes there is probable cause to believe that Gabriel Batista, Enrique Montaño, and Adrián Cedeño conspired to possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine aboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. This is in violation of sections 70503(a)(1) and 70506 of Title 46 of the United States Code.
Probable Cause
The individuals were transporting 25 cocaine packages on the vessel (reference image)
The affidavit by Carlos D. Fontanez states that on February 2, 2025, while the USCGC Joseph Doyle of the U.S. Coast Guard was patrolling, it detected a vessel approximately 30 feet long, with two outboard motors and three persons on board, about 30 nautical miles southwest of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
The patrol visually observed approximately 25 packages wrapped in green plastic that resembled narcotics. Furthermore, the description of the vessel matched information that the FBI had regarding a boat involved in smuggling significant quantities of narcotics toward the southeastern coast of Puerto Rico.
Upon receiving authorization to conduct an interdiction of the vessel, this was executed on February 3, 2025, when the ship was intercepted, leading to the arrest of three Venezuelan citizens and the seizure of 31 bales weighing approximately 1000 kg.
Fontanez noted that the U.S. Coast Guard conducted a drug test that returned positive for cocaine, and thus the individuals and all evidence were transferred to the FBI on February 12, 2025, for further processing and investigation.
Arrest Order Against the Defendants
On February 19, 2025, the Puerto Rico Court ordered the temporary detention of Gabriel Batista, Enrique Montano, and Adrián Cedeño, who exercised their right to consular notification.
Additionally, the court ordered the prosecution to notify the Venezuelan Consul about the fact that the defendants face charges in the criminal complaint for this case. The prosecution clarified that Montano’s country of origin is Venezuela and not the Dominican Republic as was initially presumed.