A boat owner and a captain were arraigned in Miami on September 26 on federal charges related to cocaine trafficking. According to court documents, Jeffry Dominguez, 34, and Luis Antonio Garcia Rosario, 37, are accused of planning to transport several hundred kilograms of cocaine from the Dominican Republic to Miami between August 24 and August 28.
On August 29, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted a 44-foot vessel as it entered U.S. waters. During the boarding, law enforcement identified Dominguez as the registered owner of the boat and Garcia Rosario as captain. Authorities discovered 741 packages containing about 742 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a compartment on board.
Both men face charges of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. If convicted, they could each receive up to life in prison for each charge. In addition, Garcia Rosario is a Dominican national and may be removed from the United States if found guilty.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida stated: “An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Miami Field Division and the Broward Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin McCormack is prosecuting.
Further information about this case can be found at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov/ or http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 25-cr-20407.
