23 Alleged Members of Violent Gang La Familia Nunca Muere Indicted on RICO, Murder, and Drug Charges
On May 12, 2026, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 23 individuals as part of the criminal enterprise known as La Familia Nunca Muere (LFNM) with racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, drug trafficking, and firearms violations. The case, brought under the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative, outlines a years-long operation involving drug distribution across multiple public housing projects and extreme violence—including the October 2025 kidnapping, torture, and execution of five people in retaliation for the killing of a gang leader.
Source note: This article is based on a public release from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
A Timeline of the Investigation and Alleged Criminal Enterprise
According to the indictment, the racketeering enterprise known as La Familia Nunca Muere operated from at least 2019 through the present. The following timeline summarizes key events described by prosecutors:
- 2019: The enterprise, composed of factions including Las FARC (also known as Las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Cantera and Las FARC Company), Cantera Nueva Generación (CNG), and other gangs, begins operating as a continuing unit engaged in drug trafficking and violence in the San Juan, Bayamón, Comerío, Trujillo Alto, and Carolina areas of Puerto Rico.
- 2019–2025: The group allegedly distributes heroin, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, marijuana, fentanyl, oxycodone (Percocet), and alprazolam (Xanax) at the Villa Kennedy, Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas, El Mirador de las Casas, and Las Margaritas public housing projects, among other locations.
- Date unclear: Las FARC leader Héctor Alcántara-Domínguez, also known as “Mariachi,” is murdered. The circumstances of his death are not detailed in the FBI release.
- October 6, 2025: After learning of Mariachi’s murder, alleged principal leader Emmanuel Pacheco-Marín and co-leader Edison Merced-Olivera order members to locate those responsible and execute them in retaliation. At least 14 members of the enterprise plan and carry out the kidnapping, torture, and execution of five individuals: N.B., W.J.G.R., J.D.S.M., J.R.P., and E.D.M. Their bodies are disposed of. The indictment does not claim the victims were involved in Mariachi’s killing.
- May 12, 2026: A federal grand jury returns an indictment charging 23 members with racketeering, murder in aid of racketeering, drug trafficking, and firearms violations.
- May 18, 2026: The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office announce the charges publicly.
The Scope of the Indictment
The 23 defendants are charged with conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. According to the indictment, from at least 2019 through the present, the group functioned as a continuing unit dedicated to drug trafficking and acts of violence to further the enterprise’s goals.
The indictment describes an organization that used extreme violence to enhance its reputation, protect its members from law enforcement and rival drug trafficking organizations, and preserve control over drug points. The most severe allegation involves the October 6, 2025 kidnapping, torture, and execution of five individuals.
The charged defendants occupied different roles: principal leader, leaders, drug point owners, enforcers, runners, sellers, lookouts, and coordinators. All face narcotics, firearms, ammunition, and RICO forfeiture allegations.
Leadership and Organizational Structure
The indictment identifies a hierarchical leadership. Emmanuel Pacheco-Marín is alleged to be the principal leader of LFNM, overseeing members and associates under the Las FARC faction. Co-leaders Edison Merced-Olivera and Alberto Valdez are accused of conspiring with Pacheco-Marín to import cocaine from the Dominican Republic into Puerto Rico for distribution on the island and in the continental United States.
After learning of the murder of Las FARC leader Héctor Alcántara-Domínguez, also known as “Mariachi,” Pacheco-Marín and Merced-Olivera allegedly ordered members to locate those responsible and execute them in retaliation. That order set in motion the violent events of October 6, 2025.
The enterprise’s multi-tiered structure—with leaders, drug point owners, enforcers, runners, sellers, lookouts, and coordinators—allowed it to function as a persistent criminal network, prosecutors say. The indictment lists all 23 defendants by name and alias, detailing their alleged roles.
The October 6, 2025 Retaliation Killings
On or about October 6, 2025, at least 14 members of the enterprise planned and carried out the kidnapping, torture, and execution of five individuals: N.B., W.J.G.R., J.D.S.M., J.R.P., and E.D.M. The indictment states that after the murders, the defendants disposed of the victims’ bodies.
It is important to note that the indictment does not allege that any of the five victims were involved in the murder of Mariachi. Instead, the allegations describe a broad act of retaliation intended to send a message to rivals and avenge the fallen leader. The 14 defendants charged with murder in aid of racketeering include Pacheco-Marín, Merced-Olivera, and twelve others: Segismar Rodríguez-Rivera, Rafael Prek-Vargas, Nefty Oquendo-Rosario, Fernando Hilario-Figueroa, Jean Carlos Ramos-Valdivia, Pedro J. Cintrón-Álvarez, Adam Miranda-Rivera, Efraín Ortiz-Rivera, Jonathan Selander-Tanco, Wilson Álvarez-Barrera, Adnell Dones-Valdivia, and José Yariel Ortiz-Santiago. If convicted, these 14 face up to life in prison and are eligible for the death penalty.
The Homeland Security Task Force and Multi-Agency Response
This prosecution is one of the first major actions under the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative, established by Executive Order 14159, “Protecting the American People Against Invasion.” The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow emphasized that RICO charges allow prosecutors to present the full picture of coordinated criminal activity. “This criminal Enterprise used gun violence and murder as mere business tools to maintain power and control. The filing of RICO charges gives us the capacity to systematically dismantle the violent gangs that fuel bloodshed and keep families living in fear,” he said. “These charges are a key part of our unified strategy to eradicate drug-driven gang violence in our communities. Through RICO charges prosecutors can charge and bring to justice the entire criminal Enterprise as one organization—we can reach every participant from leadership to street-level shooters and show a pattern of coordinated crime across gangs rather than isolated acts. It allows us to tell the full story of how different gangs coordinated murders, drug trafficking, and intimidation to advance a shared enterprise, instead of presenting each case as a stand-alone crime.”
DEA Caribbean Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Mayer added: “Violence of this magnitude will not become the norm in Puerto Rico, and the DEA, alongside our law enforcement partners, is committed to confronting it head-on. This investigation targeted individuals who believed they could use murder and intimidation to strengthen their criminal organization and spread fear throughout our communities. What they encountered instead was a united effort by federal and local agencies working side by side, sharing intelligence, resources, and manpower to dismantle those responsible. This case represents far more than arrests and indictments, it represents our collective determination to protect the public, disrupt violent criminal networks, and restore safety to the communities affected by this violence.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlos R. Goris stated: “The FBI will continue working aggressively alongside our federal and state partners to identify, investigate, and dismantle violent criminal organizations that threaten our communities. This case reflects the value of interagency collaboration to support efforts aimed at pursuing individuals linked to drug trafficking, violence, and the illegal use of firearms. Those who use fear and violence to operate should understand that law enforcement will continue working relentlessly to bring them to justice.”
HSTF San Juan comprises agents and officers from the FBI, ICE-HSI, CBP (including Air and Marine Operations and Border Patrol), the U.S. Marshals Service, DEA, ATF, IRS, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Department of State, U.S. Secret Service, the Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands HIDTA, TSA, FAA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. State and local partners include the Puerto Rico Police Department, municipal police from San Juan, Carolina, Guaynabo, Barceloneta, and Ponce, as well as the Puerto Rico National Guard Counter Drug Program, the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Service (Hacienda), and the Puerto Rico Port Authority.
Legal Penalties and Next Steps
If convicted, the defendants face severe penalties. The RICO conspiracy charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. The 14 defendants charged with murder in aid of racketeering are eligible for the death penalty. Drug trafficking convictions carry a federal sentencing requirements sentence of 10 years up to life, while firearm-related counts add mandatory consecutive sentences: at least five years to life for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and at least 30 years to life for possessing a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
As with all indictments, these are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. sentencing considerations and other statutory factors. No trial dates have been set, and the legal process is expected to be complex given the number of defendants and the breadth of the charges.
What Remains Unclear
The FBI release leaves several questions unanswered. The identities of the five victims are known only by initials, and no background information has been made public. The circumstances surrounding Mariachi’s murder, which triggered the retaliation, are not detailed. The extent of ongoing investigative efforts and whether further arrests or charges are expected is unknown. Additionally, the precise roles of some defendants—such as the two women listed, Jessica Rosario-Burgos and Nallelys Colón-Borrero—are not explained in depth beyond their inclusion in the racketeering conspiracy. The source does not indicate whether any defendants have entered pleas or are cooperating with authorities. As the case moves through the courts, more details may emerge.
Why This Case Matters
The LFNM prosecution highlights the federal government’s strategy of using RICO to dismantle entire criminal networks rather than prosecuting individual crimes. By targeting the organizational structure, authorities aim to disrupt not just violent acts but the infrastructure that sustains them. The multi-agency HSTF approach signals an intensified federal focus on violent transnational crime in Puerto Rico, with implications for community safety and the rule of law.
For residents of the public housing projects where the enterprise allegedly operated, the indictment represents a potential step toward accountability, though the presumption of innocence and the lengthy legal process remain central. The coordination among federal, state, and local agencies underscores the complexity of modern gang prosecutions and the resources required to address organized crime at this scale.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is La Familia Nunca Muere?
La Familia Nunca Muere (LFNM) is an alleged criminal enterprise described by federal prosecutors as composed of multiple gangs, primarily Las FARC and CNG, that operated in Puerto Rico. Authorities say the group was involved in drug trafficking and acts of violence, including murder, to maintain power.
What crimes are the defendants charged with?
The defendants are charged with racketeering (RICO) conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, drug trafficking (including heroin, cocaine, crack, marijuana, fentanyl, and prescription pills), and firearms violations, including possession of machineguns in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Who are the alleged leaders?
According to the indictment, Emmanuel Pacheco-Marín was the principal leader, with Edison Merced-Olivera and Alberto Valdez serving as leaders. Pacheco-Marín and Merced-Olivera are accused of ordering the October 2025 retaliation killings.
What happened on October 6, 2025?
On or about that date, at least 14 members of the enterprise allegedly kidnapped, tortured, and executed five individuals—N.B., W.J.G.R., J.D.S.M., J.R.P., and E.D.M.—in retaliation for the murder of a Las FARC leader, Héctor Alcántara-Domínguez (Mariachi). The indictment does not claim the victims were involved in Mariachi’s death.
What are the possible penalties?
Conviction on the RICO charge can result in life imprisonment. Fourteen defendants face the death penalty for murder in aid of racketeering. Drug trafficking charges carry minimum sentences of 10 years to life, and firearms convictions add mandatory consecutive prison terms of at least five years to life (for a firearm) or at least 30 years to life (for a machinegun).
Sources
This article is based on public information released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and has been independently rewritten, summarized, and contextualized by Shadab Chow News. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the FBI, the Department of Justice, any court, or any government agency. It may be updated as more confirmed information becomes available.