Boat Owner and Captain Arraigned in Miami on Federal Cocaine Trafficking Charges

MIAMI - A boat owner and captain were arraigned in Miami on Sept. 26 to face charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.

According to court documents, between Aug. 24 and 28, Jeffry Dominguez, 34, and Luis Antonio Garcia Rosario, 37, planned to transport hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from the Dominican Republic to Miami.

On Aug. 29, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted a 44-foot vessel entering U.S. waters. During a boarding of the vessel, law enforcement identified Dominguez, the registered boat owner, and Garcia Rosario. A search revealed 741 packages that contained approximately 742 kilograms of cocaine, concealed in a hidden compartment on board.

Dominguez and Garcia Rosario are charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. If convicted, Dominguez and Garcia Rosario face a maximum penalty of life in prison for each charge.

Garcia Rosario is a Dominican national and faces removal from the U.S. if convicted.

U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, and Sheriff Gregory Tony of the Broward Sheriff's Office (BSO) made the announcement.

DEA Miami Field Division and the Broward Sheriff's Office are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin McCormack is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at https://http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov/ or at https://http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-20407.

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