Homeland Security Task Force: Five Plead Guilty to Importing Thousands of Kilograms of Cocaine into South Florida

MIAMI – Five defendants pleaded guilty to conspiring to import thousands of kilograms of cocaine into South Florida aboard sport fishing vessels from the Dominican Republic. According to court records, Andy Gabriel Mercedes-Hernandez, 32; Jesus Alberto Salcedo-Perez, 32; Keisy Estibet Peguero, 38; Enmanuel Amauris Rivera-Cabrera, 32; and Mario Joel Rijo-Jimenez, 46, participated in a drug trafficking organization that used U.S.-registered sport fishing vessels to transport multi-hundred-kilogram shipments of cocaine into South Florida. “These were not fishing trips. They were industrial-scale cocaine runs into South Florida,” said U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This organization used sport fishing vessels and hidden compartments to move thousands of kilograms of cocaine from offshore waters to stash houses and distributors in our communities. Through the Homeland Security Task Force, we will continue attacking these trafficking networks at every point in the pipeline, from sea to shore to street.” The organization, led by Mercedes-Hernandez, was responsible for importing over 3,500 kilograms of cocaine aboard vessels equipped with concealed compartments used to store the drugs. The cocaine was picked up off the coast of the Bahamas and transported to South Florida. Mercedes-Hernandez financed the purchase of vessels and other expenses associated with transporting the cocaine. He also supervised the unloading of the drugs, their transportation to a stash house, and their subsequent delivery to distributors. The other defendants performed various roles in the organization. Salcedo-Perez served in multiple capacities, including as the registered owner of the vessels used by the organization. Peguero assisted in transporting the cocaine and guarded drug shipments while they were in transit. Rivera-Cabrera and Rijo-Jimenez served as captains of vessels used to transport cocaine into South Florida. Drug shipments attributed to the conspiracy include: Approximately 1,600 kilograms of cocaine transported into South Florida aboard the M/V Mysterry in mid-2023; Approximately 900 kilograms of cocaine transported aboard the M/V Maple Leaf in December 2024; and Approximately 1,000 kilograms of cocaine transported aboard the M/V Daviniki in July and August 2025. In total, the organization imported thousands of kilograms of cocaine with an estimated value exceeding $31 million. Each defendant pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to import more than five kilograms of cocaine. Each faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.