POLISCOPE
Back to feed
NewsTelemundo 51 Miami – Noticias LocalesAugust 27, 2026Miami-Dade

Five individuals plead guilty to importing $31 million in cocaine to South Florida

Five men pleaded guilty to conspiring to import over 3,500 kilograms of cocaine into South Florida using sport fishing boats. The defendants, who operated under the name 'Operation Horseman’s Voyage,' face a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison.

law enforcementdrug traffickingcriminal justiceMiami
Read the full story at Telemundo 51 Miami – Noticias Locales

Why It Matters

The conviction of this trafficking ring disrupts a major supply chain that moved $31 million worth of narcotics from the Bahamas into local South Florida communities.

Key Facts

  • Five defendants pleaded guilty to conspiring to import over five kilograms of cocaine.
  • The organization imported more than 3,500 kilograms of cocaine in total.
  • The seized narcotics are valued at over $31 million.
  • Each defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
  • The maximum penalty for the charges is life imprisonment.
  • The operation used sport fishing boats with hidden compartments to transport drugs from the Bahamas to South Florida.
  • Andy Gabriel Mercedes-Hernández directed the organization and financed the boat purchases.
  • Jesús Alberto Salcedo-Pérez was the registered owner of the vessels used.
  • Enmanuel Amauris Rivera-Cabrera and Mario Joel Rijo-Jiménez served as boat captains.
  • Keisy Estibet Peguero was responsible for transporting and guarding the shipments.

Who's Mentioned

personKeisy Estibet Peguero“Defendant, involved in transport and custody of drugs”personJesús Alberto Salcedo-Pérez“Defendant, registered owner of the vessels”organizationHomeland Security Task Force“Lead investigative body”organizationU.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida“Prosecuting authority”otherOperation Mousetrap“Related law enforcement operation”personMario Joel Rijo-Jiménez“Defendant, boat captain”personAndy Gabriel Mercedes-Hernández“Defendant, alleged leader of the organization”personReding Quiñones“Federal Prosecutor”personEnmanuel Amauris Rivera-Cabrera“Defendant, boat captain”otherOperation Horseman’s Voyage“Law enforcement operation name”other3,500“Kilograms of cocaine imported”