Operation “Titan Fall” Charges Thirteen in Central Florida Large-Scale Drug Trafficking Conspiracy
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of two indictments charging 13 individuals in 2 drug conspiracies in the Orlando area. According to the redacted indictments, the below individuals are in custody and charged with conspiring with each other, and others, to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute the following amounts, or more, of fentanyl and cocaine. Several of these individuals face enhanced penalties due to their previous criminal convictions.
|
Defendant |
Drug Quantity Alleged |
Potential Penalties |
|
Alexander Acosta-Zapata |
5 kilograms of cocaine 400 grams of fentanyl |
15 years to life incarceration, up to $20 million fine, and 10 years to life supervised release |
|
Frank Cadiz |
5 kilograms of cocaine |
15 years to life incarceration, up to $20 million fine, and 10 years to life supervised release |
|
Jonathan Andres Marte-Rodriguez |
5 kilograms of cocaine |
10 years to life incarceration, up to $10 million fine, and 5 years to life supervised release |
|
Juan Felipe Sanchez |
40 grams of fentanyl |
10 years to life incarceration, up to $8 million fine, and 8 years to life supervised release |
|
Nimesh Rashmikant Patel |
500 grams of cocaine |
10 years to life incarceration, up to $8 million fine, and 8 years to life supervised release |
|
Joseph Juan Torres-Torres |
500 grams of cocaine |
5 to 40 years’ incarceration, up to $5 million fine, and 4 years to life supervised release |
|
Carlos Alberto Roman |
40 grams of fentanyl and cocaine |
5 to 40 years’ incarceration, up to $5 million fine, and 4 years to life supervised release |
|
Kenneth Angel Vera |
cocaine |
up to 20 years’ incarceration, up to $1 million fine, and 3 years to life supervised release |
According to court documents, the conspirators were involved in multiple drug trafficking operations to distribute kilogram-quantities of cocaine and fentanyl. During course of this investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) estimates that 91 kilograms of cocaine has been seized through the mail and traffic stops initiated during this investigation. Many of the intercepted communications specifically related to the “brand” or “logo” of the cocaine – anchor or Ferrari – that was visible on the exterior of the packaging of the cocaine that was seized.
In the course of executing arrest warrants and search warrants at numerous locations in the Orlando area today, DEA seized an additional two and half kilograms of suspected cocaine, an unquantified amount of suspected fentanyl, more than twenty firearms, six suppressors, two flash grenades, and nine vehicles that were used in the commission of these offenses or were proceeds of the offenses.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Winter Garden Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Kissimmee Police Department, the Winter Park Police Department, the Clermont Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, the Apopka Police Department, the Ocoee Police Department, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.
Operation Titan Fall is a multi-agency Organize Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCEDTF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
