A Dominican court has ordered eight individuals to be held in pre-trial detention for 12 months in connection with an international drug trafficking ring named Operation Buffalo NK. The eight defendants are accused of being part of a drug cartel with operations spanning Colombia, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. They were arrested during a large-scale operation involving multiple law enforcement agencies.
Judge Rigoberto Sena ordered pre trial detention for Rafael Ynoa Santana, alias «El Cojo», Isidoro Rotestan Clase, Juan Bolívar Hernández, José Antonio Toribio, Juan Henrique Tavarez, Severiano Núñez Pichardo, Robert Nicolás Acosta Adames and Cristian Esteban Alcántara Javier.
Rafael Ynoa Santana, alias “El Cojo,” is believed to be the ringleader. The court also imposed travel restrictions and financial guarantees on two other defendants.
Prosecutors allege that the criminal network was responsible for smuggling large quantities of drugs from South America to the United States and Europe. The drugs were transported by fast boats and fishing vessels, and the defendants are accused of laundering the proceeds of their illicit activities.
The case has been described as highly complex, involving charges of drug trafficking, money laundering, and criminal association. Prosecutors say the evidence against the defendants is substantial and includes intercepted communications, financial records, and witness testimonies.
The suspects were apprehended during a large-scale simultaneous operation conducted by air, sea, and land across the provinces of Santo Domingo, Puerto Plata, María Trinidad Sánchez, La Romana and Samaná. This operation was carried out by the Public Ministry and the National Drug Control Agency (DNCD), with support from the Ministry of Defense, state intelligence agencies, the United States’ Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and US Southern Command.
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Attorney General Office
7 October 2024