New York Man Indicted for Conspiring to Import and Distribute Cocaine from the Dominican Republic

NEWARK, N.J. – A New York man was indicted today for allegedly conspiring to import and distribute multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine from the Dominican Republic into the United States, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Alberto Nicolas Montero, 48, of New York City, is charged with one count of conspiracy to import into the United States five kilograms or more of cocaine and one count of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. He has been in custody since his arrest in August 2018.

According to documents filed in this case:

From November 2017 through August 2018, Montero participated in a drug trafficking organization that was operating in New York, New Jersey, and the Dominican Republic by brokering cocaine transactions on behalf of a conspirator in the Dominican Republic (Co-Conspirator 1). In November 2017, an individual (Individual 1) spoke with Montero about a cocaine transaction with Co-Conspirator 1. Individual 1 traveled to the Dominican Republic.  Montero put Individual 1 in contact with Co-Conspirator 1 to facilitate a cocaine transaction. Individual 1 met with Co-Conspirator 1, who expressed interest in setting up a transaction to distribute cocaine to the Newark area. Co-Conspirator 1 distributed to Individual 1 two kilograms of a substance that tested positive for the presence of cocaine.

From December 2017 through Aug. 2, 2018, Individual 1 continued to communicate with Montero regarding future illegal drug transactions. In July 2018, Montero discussed with Individual 1 a purchase of 15 kilograms – later reduced to 14 kilograms – of cocaine from Montero’s contacts in the Dominican Republic. On Aug. 2, 2018, Montero traveled to New Jersey, where a black backpack containing approximately $130,000 was placed in front of Montero as intended payment for the cocaine. Montero discussed with Individual 1 how the money would be transferred to the Dominican Republic so that Co-Conspirator 1 would release the 14 kilograms of cocaine to Individual 1’s associate in the Dominican Republic. Montero was arrested during the course of his discussions with Individual 1 about the logistics of the cocaine transaction.     

Both charges in the indictment carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. 

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents and task force officers of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, the FBI’s Legal Attaché Office in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Keith Kruskall, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Angel M. Melendez, and the New York Police Department with the investigation.

This case was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies dedicated to identifying and dismantling the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie L. Hoxie of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark.

The charges and allegations against the defendant are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.