A key figure in a Dominican Republic-based drug trafficking ring has received an 87-month prison sentence, highlighting the ongoing efforts of U.S. law enforcement to dismantle international cocaine distribution networks [[1]]. José Eduviges Aponte Torres, sentenced December 15th, joins a growing list of individuals connected to Councilman Edickson Herrera Silvestre convicted in the United States, revealing the scope of the operation that moved hundreds of kilograms of cocaine with an estimated value exceeding $10 million [[2]]. The case, which involved a complex network utilizing boats and stash houses, underscores the challenges authorities face in combating transnational crime.
A second individual involved in a drug trafficking network led by Edickson Herrera Silvestre, a councilman for the National District in the Dominican Republic, has been sentenced in the United States. The case underscores the reach of Dominican drug operations into the U.S.
According to court documents obtained by multiple news outlets, José Eduviges Aponte Torres, also known as “Buby” or “Meano,” was sentenced to 87 months in prison on December 15 for his role in trafficking approximately 376 kilograms of cocaine originating from the northern coast of the Dominican Republic.
Aponte Torres will also serve two years of supervised release following his prison term. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom.
The sentencing comes days after retired National Police General William Durán Jerez received a similar punishment – more than seven years in prison – for collaborating with the criminal enterprise. Herrera Silvestre is still awaiting his sentencing, which is scheduled for January 8, 2026, at 9:30 a.m.
Authorities determined that Aponte Torres was observed on June 21, 2021, leaving a South Florida residence with approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine concealed under a yellow tarp. The residence was reportedly used as a stash house for the drugs. A narcotics team attempted to stop the vehicle, but Aponte Torres evaded capture and hid the cocaine in a trash can.
Following the attempted stop, authorities obtained a search warrant for the stash house, where they seized four bags containing around 160 kilograms of cocaine.
Aponte Torres then fled to a secure location with another individual involved in the network, and the pair traveled to Las Vegas in an attempt to cross the border into Mexico.
Investigators found that the two met with Herrera Silvestre in the Dominican Republic in the weeks following the cocaine seizure to discuss the loss and how to recover the funds.
The Councilman and the General
U.S. authorities have established that Herrera Silvestre, Aponte Torres, and Durán Jerez were involved in drug trafficking between May 2020 and November 2022. The 376 kilograms of cocaine at the center of the Florida court case had a value exceeding 436 million Dominican pesos, based on the average exchange rate in 2022. During that period, a kilogram of cocaine in the United States cost between $20,000 and $25,000.
In addition to the profits from the drug sales, Herrera Silvestre allegedly received $5,000 each time he allowed others to use his boat, known as “The Ghost,” to transport drugs to the United States. The operation involved purchasing drugs in South America, transporting them to the Dominican Republic for storage, and then dispatching them from a hotel in Puerto Plata towards U.S. waters, where they were met by a vessel also acquired by the network. Durán Jerez was allegedly responsible for introducing Herrera Silvestre to the captain of that vessel. The retired officer was also found to have possessed 50 kilograms of cocaine moved by the network and sold an additional 50 kilograms to another participant in the operation.
The indictment against the three men was filed on March 5, 2025. All three pleaded guilty between September and October to cooperate with U.S. law enforcement. Herrera Silvestre, also known as “Yeyea,” was suspended from his municipal duties on September 18, with Wilkin Martínez appointed as his temporary replacement.
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