Cocaine, Private Jets And A Guilty Plea In NJ Drug Conspiracy

TETERBORO, NJ — One man has pled guilty to his role in a conspiracy that would bring hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico to New Jersey via private plane, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.

Mariano Enrique Arroyo Perez, 29, admitted he conspired to distribute over 250 kilograms of cocaine. He pled guilty to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine on Tuesday.

According to court documents, Perez and others involved in the conspiracy planned to transport cocaine on private planes from 2017 to 2019. This includes transporting approximately 150 kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico to New Jersey on a private plane on Nov. 18, 2018, which law enforcement intercepted.

Pilots became suspicious during that flight after several men boarded a private plane in Puerto Rico destined for a Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, but were not on the manifest for the flight. Court documents said their luggage was "particularly heavy", and it was eventually discovered that it contained 150 kilograms of cocaine.

Law enforcement arrested the four passengers, and learned that Arroyo Perez had coordinated the shipment, court documents show.

Officials also Law reviewed "judicially authorized wire intercepts" which showed that Arroyo Perez and a conspirator discussed and coordinated the Nov. 18, 2018, events and shared the names of the four passengers.

The count of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine carries a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentencing is scheduled for April 21, 2022.