Dominican drug trafficker Justo Germán Rosario, known as Papín, was extradited to Puerto Rico from the Caribbean island of Saint Martin as part of the operation "trident neptune" to face drug trafficking charges filed by the United States Federal Prosecutor’s Office.
The head of the Federal Prosecutor’s Office in San Juan, Stephen Muldrow, reported this Friday through a statement that the extradition of Rosario, related to international drug trafficking for decades, to US territory is another step important in the fight against drug trafficking and organized crime in the region.
The Prosecutor’s Office maintains that Rosario was the leader of a criminal organization that operated in several countries dedicated to introducing thousands of kilograms of cocaine into Puerto Rico from different strategic points in the Caribbean, including the Dominican Republic and the island of San Martín.
On July 15, 2020, a federal jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment against Rosario, charging him with conspiracy to import cocaine into United States territory.
The indictment indicates that between February and December 2017 Rosario introduced cocaine into US territory from Venezuela, the island of San Martín and the Dominican Republic.
The accusation against Rosario is part of the operation "trident neptune"led by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), with the collaboration of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Office US Customs and Border Protection
Rosario had been designated since 2019 by the US federal authorities as a priority capture target.
Agents attached to the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force (CCSF) had been investigating the drug trafficking organization led by Rosario since 1994.
Rosario’s case is being handled in Puerto Rico by Assistant US Attorney Max Pérez-Bouret, head of the Transnational Organized Crime Section, and Assistant US Attorney Camille García.
Federal authorities worked with authorities in San Martin to secure Rosario’s arrest and extradition.
If convicted, Rosario faces a sentence of between 10 years and up to life in prison.
Rosario’s record before the Dominican Justice includes cocaine seizures, several arrests and an escape from a courtroom while he was sentenced.