CHRISTIANSTED — A Dominican Republic native who brought 1,388 pounds of cocaine to the United States by boat was given nearly six years in prison by a federal judge.
Leandro De Los Santos, 33, of Santo Domingo, was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 630 kilograms of cocaine while on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, U.S. Attorney Delia L. Smith said.
According to court documents, on September 11, 2022, while on routine patrol south of
the Dominican Republic, United States Coast Guard Cutter U.S.S. Billings intercepted a go-fast
vessel navigating on a northerly course approximately 80 nautical miles south of Bani, Dominican
Republic.
The vessel had no flag flown, no registration numbers and no name painted on its hull.
The Dominican Republic Navy later confirmed that the vessel was not registered with their
country, and it was therefore treated as a vessel without nationality thereby subjecting it to the
jurisdiction of the United States.
Onboard the vessel, the U.S.S. Billings boarding team detained De Los Santos and Victor Reyes-Martinez and recovered 630 kilograms of cocaine.
On March 30, 2023, Reyes-Martinez pleaded guilty on March 30, 2023, and was sentenced to 57 months incarceration.
This case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard, Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Rikhye.