Six charged with shipping drugs between Puerto Rico and New Hampshire

SAN JUAN — Six people were arrested this week in connection with what federal authorities say was a conspiracy to distribute cocaine in New Hampshire using the U.S. Postal Service.

In custody are: Lewistone Baez Miranda, 48, Euris Rosario Rodriguez, 38, Siul Mary Rosa Cruz, 28, Davie Orme, 51, Sasha Ramirez Muniz, 42, all of Manchester; and Joshua Baez Core, 25, of Bayamon, Puerto Rico.

According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s office, which is prosecuting the case, the six were involved in a drug trafficking operation that shipped “large amounts” of cocaine from Puerto Rico to the Manchester post office in New Hampshire.

“Members of the organization would pick up the packages of cocaine in Manchester and provide them to Lewistone Baez Miranda and others for distribution,” officials said. One package recovered by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service contained four kilograms of cocaine.

U.S. Attorney Jane Young said investigators uncovered about 10 pounds of cocaine that they say was shipped from Puerto Rico to New Hampshire.

“That is a significant amount of cocaine,” Young said. “It’s thousands of doses of cocaine.”

Young said the investigation began in 2020, and to date, there have been more than 5 kilograms, or 10 pounds, of cocaine sent through the mail from Puerto Rico to New Hampshire.

A statement from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said three of the defendants appeared in federal court on January 17, 2024.

The accused face a maximum term of 20 years in prison and a fine of $100,000 if convicted.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service led the investigation in the case, with assistance from the Manchester police department.