SANTO DOMINGO,. — The Instruction Court of San Pedro de Macorís declared
Óscar Ventura Santana and Moisés Augusto Francisco Astacio (known as “Bumpy Catanga”) in rebellion, accused of being part of a drug trafficking and money laundering network.
The
Specialized Anti-Money Laundering Prosecutor’s Office explained that the defendants are part of the organization led by Yunior Santos Restrepo, sentenced to 12 years in prison, as well as by
Walky Cuevas Charles, Pamela Violeta Astacio and Aníbal Florentino Rondón, who are being prosecuted with different coercive measures.
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Court prosecutor Ramona Nova Cabrera described the decision as “a firm step against the criminal structures that engage in drug trafficking and money laundering.”
Prosecutors José Manuel Calzado and Manuel Santiago Castro Lora, in charge of the investigation, highlighted that the evidence presented confirms the financial and logistical links of the accused, so they will insist on ensuring their appearance before the court.
The litigating team that represented the Public Ministry in the hearing, presided over by the investigating judge Andrea Corcino, was made up of prosecutors Pedro Medina Quezada and Manuel Santiago Castro Lora.
The case
The file indicates that on September 21, 2023, the ringleader of the network, Yunior Santos Restrepo, was arrested during a series of simultaneous raids carried out by the Public Ministry.
In that operation, 93 packages of cocaine were seized with a total weight of 96.72 kilograms, firearms, ammunition, cash, luxury vehicles, documents, watches, jewelry, and electronic devices, whose analysis allowed to establish direct links with other members of the criminal organization.
In addition to the 12-year prison sentence for Santos Restrepo, his partner, Yohan Altagracia Reyes Ruiz, received a five-year sentence. The seizure of all illicit assets was also ordered, including cash, high-end vehicles, firearms, jewelry, and high-value watches.
