Convictions through Guilty Pleas and Sentencings in Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) Prosecutions (June 15 through June 18, 2026)
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney, in conjunction with our partner agencies in the Homeland Security Task Force (“HSTF”) announce the following prosecutorial results for the week of June 15 through June 18, 2026. The HSTF is a permanent, interagency law enforcement task force created by executive order to combat transnational criminal organizations including cartels, trafficking networks, and foreign terrorist organizations.
Convictions through Guilty Pleas:
On June 16, 2026, Eli Couvertier Pollock pleaded guilty to possession of a machinegun in Criminal Case 24-182. He also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking in Criminal Case 24-453 (MAJ). Defendant was arrested on December 11, 2024. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for October 5, 2026.
On June 18, 2026, Lino Calcaño-Rodríguez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking in Criminal Case 24-453 (MAJ). Defendant was arrested on December 11, 2024. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for September 23, 2026.
On June 18, 2026, Jan C. Dalmau-Román pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking in Criminal Case 24-453 (MAJ). Defendant was arrested on December 11, 2024. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for September 23, 2026.
On June 18, 2026, Carlos Mercado-Molina pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances in Criminal Case 24-453 (MAJ). Defendant was arrested on December 11, 2024. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for September 23, 2026.
On June 18, 2026, Rodney Alexis Maldonado-Marquez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances in Criminal Case 25-365. Defendant was arrested on September 11, 2025. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for September 16, 2026.
On June 18, 2026, Efraín Ramírez-Cortés pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances in Criminal Case 25-365. Defendant was arrested on September 11, 2025. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for September 16, 2026.
Sentencings:
On June 15, 2026, Carlos Obed La Llave Otero was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Aida Delgado Colón to 60 months of imprisonment to be followed by 8 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on April 9, 2025, in Criminal Case 25-184 (ADC) and pleaded guilty on February 20, 2026.
On June 15, 2026, Merchisede Rivera Rivera was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Aida Delgado Colón to 60 months of imprisonment to be followed by 8 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on April 9, 2025, in Criminal Case 25-184 (ADC) and pleaded guilty on February 20, 2026.
On June 15, 2026, Isaías Molina Valle was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Aida Delgado Colón to 144 months of imprisonment to be followed by 8 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking activities. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on April 9, 2025, in Criminal Case 25-184 (ADC) and pleaded guilty on February 24, 2026.
On June 15, 2026, Jomael Aponte Rivera was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Aida Delgado Colon to 144 months of imprisonment to be followed by 8 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking activities. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on April 9, 2025, in Criminal Case 25-184 (ADC) and pleaded guilty on February 6, 2026.
On June 15, 2026, Luis Joel Couret Clas was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Aida Delgado Colon to 12 months of imprisonment to be served consecutively to the sentence imposed in case number 24-059 (MAJ) to followed by 8 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on April 9, 2025, in Criminal Case 25-184 (ADC) and pleaded guilty on February 2, 2026.
On June 15, 2026, Carlos Rodríguez Núñez was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Aida Delgado Colon to 27 months and fifteen days of imprisonment, to be served concurrently and consecutively to state court sentences, to be followed by 8 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on April 9, 2025, in Criminal Case 25-184 (ADC) and pleaded guilty on February 6, 2026.
On June 16, 2026, Isaías Caleb De Jesús was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Maria Antongiorgi Jordan to 84 months of imprisonment to be followed by 8 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on December 11, 2024, in Criminal Case 24-453 (MAJ) and pleaded guilty on March 17, 2026.
These prosecutions are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
HSTF San Juan comprises agents and officers from the following federal partners: FBI, ICE-HSI, CBP (OFO, AMO and Border Patrol), the U.S. Marshals Service for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, DEA, ATF, IRS, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of State, and the U.S. Secret Service, the Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands HIDTA, TSA, FAA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.