Named "Unmasking Crime," the operation was carried out on the eve of Halloween night and targeted 12 gangs involved in the sale of weapons and drugs, as well as the commission of crimes.
Agents served 189 arrest warrants, executed 64 search warrants, and made 191 additional arrests, according to Police Commissioner Antonio López Figueroa.
The operation was preceded by an investigation that identified eleven establishments where illegal merchandise transactions occurred. Evidence suggests that eight owners or managers of these stores were linked to illegal operations. According to the authorities, these sites were also hotspots of violence.
The arrested individuals include 16 members of a criminal organization that controlled drug sales points in a part of the town of Coamo and are believed to have been involved in the double murder of a man linked to drug trafficking and a woman unrelated to criminal activity in early May. Couples, families, and women who led criminal organizations linked to several murders were also among those arrested.
More than 70 firearms, over 50 vehicles, close to US$100,000 in cash, and a large quantity of controlled substances were seized. The police confirmed that the sale of weapons seized during the operation began by promoting them on social networks.
"The increase in the use of the Internet to coordinate the sale and delivery of weapons and drugs, especially by young people and college students in the Western area, is notable, which represents major challenges in the investigative work," stated the Chief of Police.
Authorities confirmed that, thanks to the ongoing efforts of this operation, additional arrests could be expected in the coming days.
