Spanish
FLORIDA, USA – Fabio Augusto Jorge Puras, former advisor to the Dominican Executive Branch, formally pleaded "not guilty" before a US federal court after being charged with international drug trafficking. During his first appearance, which lasted just 12 minutes, the defendant requested to be tried by a jury trial, a process that already has a start date.
Jorge Puras, who needed a Spanish interpreter during the hearing, was presented before the court at 2:00 p.m. on January 29th, after having surrendered to the authorities the day before. The formal accusation links him to a conspiracy network to import and distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine to Miami-Dade County.
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The U.S. justice system maintains that the criminal operations were coordinated from Colombia and the Dominican Republic between 2019 and the end of 2020. Gaspar Antonio Polanco Virella, former director of Public Services of the Ayuntamiento del Distrito Nacional, is also involved in this scheme, along with other individuals not yet identified by the Grand Jury. Both defendants face two serious federal charges. If found guilty, the stipulated penalties range from a minimum of 10 years in prison to life imprisonment. In addition, the court contemplates fines of up to 10 million dollars and the total seizure of any property or assets derived from drug trafficking activities. Fabio Jorge Puras held the position of government advisor for free trade zones until May 2025, at which point he was removed by decree 273-25 after the investigation against him was revealed. Likewise, he was known for being a member of the board of directors of the Águilas Cibaeñas baseball team. For his part, Polanco Virella had voluntarily surrendered in mid-October. The jury trial will be presided over by federal judge Ed Artau at the West Palm Beach courthouse. After several changes to the schedule, the definitive date for the start of the process has been set for next February 23, 2026 at 9:00 a.m.
