A forty-count indictment has been unsealed in U.S. District Court charging nine people in connection with an alleged conspiracy to smuggle cocaine from Puerto Rico to the Youngstown area.

Investigators say that from April 2020 to December 2021, the nine used code words and phrases over cell phones to identify drugs, locations and payments to carry on the illegal trade.

The indictment alleges that Francisco Rosado-Cordero and Erick Rosa-Martinez supplied cocaine to Brendan Wolford and Edwin Cintron-Baez for distribution here in the Valley.

In addition, John Pena-Vazquez and Christopher Ramos-Burgos allegedly shipped cocaine from Puerto Rico to Florida.  Those drugs were then allegedly sold in the Orlando, Florida and Youngstown, Ohio areas.

Prosecutors allege that in 2020, Wilfredo Delgado-Mulero attempted to obtain 15 lbs of cocaine and mailed $198,000 in drug proceeds to Puerto Rico.

The suspects, some of whom have made court appearances, are as follows

 John Pena-Vazquez

  • Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute Cocaine and Cocaine Base (Crack)
  • Use of a Communication Facility in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime

Jose Molina-Torres

  • Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute Cocaine and Cocaine Base (Crack)
  • Use of a Communication Facility in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime

Francisco Rosado-Cordero

  • Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute Cocaine and Cocaine Base (Crack)
  • Use of a Communication Facility in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime
  • Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine
  • Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base

Jose Cintron-Feliciano

  • Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute Cocaine and Cocaine Base (Crack)
  • Use of a Communication Facility in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime
  • Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine
  • Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base

Christopher Ramos-Burgos

  • Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute Cocaine and Cocaine Base (Crack)

Erick Rosa-Martinez

  • Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute Cocaine and Cocaine Base (Crack)
  • Use of a Communication Facility in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime
  • Distribution of Cocaine

Wilfredo Delgado-Mulero

  • Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute Cocaine and Cocaine Base (Crack)
  • Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine)

Brendan Wolford

  • Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute Cocaine and Cocaine Base (Crack)
  • Use of a Communication Facility in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime
  • Distribution of Cocaine

Edwin Cintron-Baez

  • Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute Cocaine and Cocaine Base (Crack)
  • Use of a Communication Facility in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime