A dozen people have been charged in connection to a drug smuggling scheme which utilized the mail to bring cocaine from Puerto Rico to Reading, the Berks County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.
The investigation began in August of 2022, when the United States Postal Inspector’s Office discovered kilogram quantities of cocaine being mailed from Puerto Rico to Reading, Pennsylvania. A task force was formed consisting of the Berks County Detectives, United States Postal Inspector’s Office, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Homeland Security Investigations. The investigative goal of these agencies was to identify and apprehend those involved.
The task force uncovered a complex drug trafficking scheme identifying twelve principal subjects. These subjects engaged in a conspiracy to obtain, smuggle, transport, and distribute cocaine. Authorities say the corrupt organization functioned with the purpose of flooding Berks County and surrounding counties with illegal drugs for financial gain.
Investigators say Jeffrey Ramos-Perez and his girlfriend Jennifer Zerolo-Feliciano ran the organization from Puerto Rico and were both were responsible for mailing the parcels to Pennsylvania. The other ten co-conspirators accepted the parcels and distributed the drugs locally.
During the investigation, detectives and agents seized forty kilograms of cocaine from nineteen parcels destined for Berks County and surrounding areas. The street value of the cocaine is estimated to be approximately $4 million dollars.
The following individuals have been charged:
– Jeffrey Ramos-Perez, age 22 of Reading PA
– Jennifer Zerolo-Feliciano, age 30 of Aguadilla, PR
– Cruz Lebron-DeJesus, age 42 of Philadelphia, PA
– Jeffrey Cedeno-Ramirez, age 41 of Reading, PA
– Raquel Rivera- Maldonado, age 45 of Reading,PA
– Jose Escobar-Camacho, age 39 of Reading, PA
– Hector Luis Rosado-Ortiz, age 39 of Hamburg, PA
– Javier Rosario-Bones, age 51 of Hummelstown, PA
– Rodrigo Fontanez-Cortez, age 43 of Wyomissing, PA
– David Arocho-Cortes, age 34 of Reading, PA
– Grace Diaz-Rodriguez, age 29 of Reading, PA
– Michel Diaz-Ramos, age 33 of Reading, PA
Currently, eleven of the twelve subjects are in custody. Cruz Lebron-DeJesus is still at large.
Anyone with information regarding the investigation is asked to contact the Berks County Detectives at 610-478-7171. Anonymous tips can also be made to Crime Alert Berks County by either calling (877) 373-9913, downloading the ALERTBERKS app on your mobile device, or via text message using your mobile phone and typing ALERTBERKS along with your tip to 847411.
As in every criminal case, the fact that an arrest occurred or a complaint has been filed is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
