The Humacao Prosecutor’s Office of the Department of Justice filed charges against Wilfredo Rivera Vargas and his uncle, Héctor Iván Rodríguez Román, arrested yesterday by the Police Bureau during a raid on the La Inmaculada urbanization extension in Las Piedras, Puerto Rico. The raid was filmed on video by news crews.
According to the investigation, it is alleged that Rivera Vargas is dedicated to supplying weapons to criminal organizations and had previously been arrested for similar crimes.
The judge of the Court of First Instance of Humacao, Enid Rivera, found cause for the arrest of the duo. Bail for Rivera Vargas was set at $1.5 million, while Rodríguez Román was set at $225,000.
At the state level, “a charge was filed for violating article 6.09 of the Weapons Law, which criminalizes the illegal carrying, possession or use of long semi-automatic weapons, and two additional charges for violating articles 401 and 412 of the controlled Substances Law due to the possession of drugs and paraphernalia with the intention of distributing”, detailed the prosecutor Miguel García Rodríguez.
it was anticipated that federal authorities could also file charges for the commission of other crimes in that jurisdiction.
The preliminary hearing was scheduled for June 1.
During the operation caught on video, three 223-caliber rifles were seized, as well as countless pieces of firearms of different calibers and equipment to modify and customize them. In addition, they seized marijuana for sale, devices used for drug trafficking and a homemade bunker used to shoot and test weapons for the purpose of modifying them.
Along with Rivera Vargas, 31, his wife and his uncle, owner of the residence where the weapons were seized, were arrested.
A newborn, daughter of the arrested person and his partner, was in the residence at the time of the raid. The agents activated the protocol for minors with the Department of the Family.
Watch the video here:
