Three leaders of a violent Little Havana drug trafficking and money laundering organization have been found guilty of various gun, drugs and money laundering crimes, authorities said Thursday.
Ulysses Cabrera, 32, Bernardo Quinonez, 34, and Victor Smith, 26, were convicted by a federal jury following a nine-week trial, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida said.
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Prosecutors said Cabrera and Quinonez led the gang that distributed cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana onto the streets of Little Havana.
Cabrera supplied the cocaine while Quinonez supervised the people who turned it into crack, and Smith oversaw the street-level drug sales, officials said.
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When rival drug dealers threatened their territory, Cabrera and Quinonez directed Smith and other gang members to intimidate, maim and in some instances kill them, prosecutors said.
As a result, innocent bystanders were sometimes caught in the crossfire and ended up injured.
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Cabrera and Quinonez would launder the drug money in various ways, including buying real estate in Opa-locka, officials said.
While investigating the case law enforcement seized some 1.5 kilograms of cocaine, several grams of crack cocaine, more than 26 pounds of marijuana, four assault rifles, 10 pistols, 10 extended magazines, 10 semi-automatic firearms, a short barrel rifle, a revolver and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, officials said.
Cabrera was convicted on one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, one count of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana, one count of conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, four counts of money laundering crimes, and four counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
Quinonez was convicted on one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, one count of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana, one count of conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, one count of drive-by shooting, one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, three counts of money laundering, seven counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of maintaining an establishment to distribute controlled substances.
Smith was convicted on one count of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana, one count of conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, as well as one count of armed robbery and one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
All three face up to life in prison at sentencing, which is set for Aug. 1.
