{"id":243432,"date":"2025-11-03T07:21:50","date_gmt":"2025-11-03T11:21:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dr1.com\/news\/?p=243432"},"modified":"2025-11-03T09:26:17","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T13:26:17","slug":"prosecutors-accuse-12-new-suspects-in-bufalo-nk-major-drug-ring-takedown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dr1.com\/news\/2025\/11\/03\/prosecutors-accuse-12-new-suspects-in-bufalo-nk-major-drug-ring-takedown\/","title":{"rendered":"Prosecutors accuse 12 new suspects in Bufalo NK major drug ring takedown"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Dominican Republic\u2019s Public Ministry, through the Public Prosecution Department, has filed formal charges against Isidoro Rotest\u00e1n Clase, alias “el Men,” and 12 other individuals newly implicated in the international drug trafficking network dismantled last year during the extensive Operation B\u00fafalo NK, the Attorney General Office reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s Prosecution Department, alongside court prosecutor Hector Garc\u00eda Acevedo and prosecutors Miguel Collado, Enmanuel Ramirez, and Jonathan Perez Fulcar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The initial phase of the investigation saw ten people accused, with nine already convicted after pleading guilty through abbreviated proceedings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The expanded indictment names Rotestan Clase, Joelvis Idelfonso Montero Perez, Francisco Morrobel Perez, Cristino Rotest\u00e1n Clase, Braulio Rotestan Clase, Johnny Casimiro Tejada, Geyser Climerson Castillo Mordan, Luigui Aneudy Ure\u00f1a Reid, Glorisel De La Cruz Paulin, Yamilka Paulino, Leda Margarita Clase, Jomaiky Ure\u00f1a Rotestan, and Estafany De La Cruz Paulino.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2014overseeing vessels, crews, storage, and drug distribution\u2014while 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scale of operations and seizures
Investigations estimate the organization\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the final stages of the investigation, the Public Ministry executed major seizures targeting Rotest\u00e1n Clase and his alleged front men, including:
\u2022 Six buses valued at approximately RD$24.45 million
\u2022 Four vessels and seven properties estimated at around RD$60 million <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Operation B\u00fafalo NK
Operation B\u00fafalo 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This massive operation involved 17 prosecutors and was executed across Puerto Plata, Nagua, San Pedro de Macor\u00eds, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more in Spanish:
Attorney General Office <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3 November 2025<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Dominican Republic\u2019s Public Ministry, through the Public Prosecution Department, has filed formal charges against Isidoro Rotest\u00e1n Clase, alias “el Men,” and 12 other individuals newly implicated in the international drug trafficking network dismantled last year during the extensive Operation B\u00fafalo NK, the Attorney General Office reports. The indictment, presented before the Coordinating Office of … <\/p>\n

Read more\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[337,3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dr1.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243432"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dr1.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dr1.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dr1.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dr1.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=243432"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/dr1.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243432\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":243525,"href":"https:\/\/dr1.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243432\/revisions\/243525"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dr1.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=243432"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dr1.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=243432"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dr1.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=243432"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}