The Dominican Republic’s Public Ministry, through the Public Prosecution Department, has filed formal charges against Isidoro Rotestán Clase, alias “el Men,” and 12 other individuals newly implicated in the international drug trafficking network dismantled last year during the extensive Operation Búfalo NK, the Attorney General Office reports.
The indictment, presented before the Coordinating Office of the Instruction Courts of the National District, signals a significant expansion of the case. It was submitted by Assistant Prosecutor Wilson Camacho, head of the Public Ministry’s Prosecution Department, alongside court prosecutor Hector García Acevedo and prosecutors Miguel Collado, Enmanuel Ramirez, and Jonathan Perez Fulcar.
The initial phase of the investigation saw ten people accused, with nine already convicted after pleading guilty through abbreviated proceedings.
The expanded indictment names Rotestan Clase, Joelvis Idelfonso Montero Perez, Francisco Morrobel Perez, Cristino Rotestán Clase, Braulio Rotestan Clase, Johnny Casimiro Tejada, Geyser Climerson Castillo Mordan, Luigui Aneudy Ureña Reid, Glorisel De La Cruz Paulin, Yamilka Paulino, Leda Margarita Clase, Jomaiky Ureña Rotestan, and Estafany De La Cruz Paulino.
Furthermore, the prosecution has brought charges against three legal entities: Mariscos del Caribe Clase S.R.L., Mojos S.R.L., and Elegant Records Productions E.I.R.L.
Judicial documents reveal the network as a transnational criminal organization comprised of citizens from Colombia, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic, with links extending to Puerto Rico, the United States, and Europe. This highly sophisticated structure operated across multiple jurisdictions, using maritime and air routes to move large-scale cocaine shipments, establishing itself as a vital cog in the international drug trade.
Within the Dominican Republic, the network was run by a dual-headed leadership: Rafael Ynoa Santana (already convicted) and Isidoro Rotestan Clase. Ynoa Santana managed operational coordination—overseeing vessels, crews, storage, and drug distribution—while Rotestan Clase acted as the financier and administrator of the money laundering scheme, with decision-making power over cargo, bribes, and asset acquisition. Both operated on equal footing, serving as the main local arm for the Colombian ringleaders.
Scale of operations and seizures
Investigations estimate the organization’s financial and logistical capacity allowed it to move approximately six tons of cocaine annually. Of twelve documented trafficking operations, six were successfully neutralized, resulting in the seizure of 1,824 kilograms of cocaine. The network had the resources to charter fishing vessels and Go Fast speedboats, and used sophisticated equipment like satellite phones and encrypted communication systems.
In the final stages of the investigation, the Public Ministry executed major seizures targeting Rotestán Clase and his alleged front men, including:
• Six buses valued at approximately RD$24.45 million
• Four vessels and seven properties estimated at around RD$60 million
Previously seized assets included a farm in Puerto Plata, luxury vehicles, cash, a beverage center and car wash, a penthouse in Bella Vista, and an apartment in the National District.
About Operation Búfalo NK
Operation Búfalo NK was launched in September 2024 by the Public Ministry, in coordination with the National Drug Control Agency (DNCD), the Ministry of Defense, intelligence agencies, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and US Southern Command.
This massive operation involved 17 prosecutors and was executed across Puerto Plata, Nagua, San Pedro de Macorís, Hato Mayor, La Romana, and the National District, successfully dismantling a criminal network that used the Dominican Republic as a bridge to transport large-scale drug shipments from South America to the United States and Europe for massive illicit profits.
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Attorney General Office
3 November 2025