Humberto Rodriguez, aka “El Bori,” Pleads Guilty to April 2020 Murder
NEW YORK - Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Humberto Rodriguez, aka “El Bori,” pled guilty today in Manhattan federal court to the April 18, 2020, murder of Jorge Miguel Cabrera. U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel accepted the defendant’s guilty plea.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “In the early morning of April 18, 2020, Humberto Rodriguez shot and ultimately killed Miguel Cabrera in connection with a failed drug transaction. This case is yet another tragic reminder of the violence that often accompanies narcotics trafficking. We continue our daily work with our law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe by vigorously investigating and prosecuting acts of violence and drug trafficking.”
According to the allegations in the Second Superseding Indictment and other documents filed in federal court, as well as statements made in public court proceedings:
On or about April 18, 2020, Rodriguez and other members of a Bronx-based narcotics trafficking organization attempted to purchase one kilogram of cocaine on East 175th Street in the Bronx. After obtaining the buyers’ money, the sellers attempted to flee the scene. At that point, Rodriguez fired a gun at the sellers’ vehicles, striking Cabrera in the spine. Cabrera ultimately died from the gunshot wound.
Rodriguez, 27, pled guilty to one count of murder through the use of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 924(j) and 2, which carries a maximum term of life in prison and a mandatory minimum term of five years in prison. The maximum and minimum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
Rodriguez is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Castel on March 9, 2022.
On July 27, 2021, Rodriguez’s co-defendant Alex Melendez pled guilty to narcotics and firearms offenses. On November 11, 2021, Rodriguez’s co-defendant Sharone Lewis pled guilty to a narcotics offense.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the New York City Police Department, the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Peter J. Davis and Nicholas W. Chiuchiolo are in charge of the prosecution.
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