Orlando, Florida – United States District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza today sentenced the head of ‘La Compania’ Zuleyka Jeanette Colon-Rivera (25, Orlando) to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin, and distributing and possessing with the intent to distribute heroin. Colon-Rivera was found guilty by a jury on October 26, 2016.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Colon-Rivera was part of a drug trafficking organization called “La Compania” or “the Company” that operated primarily in the Orlando tourist district, near International Drive. Colon-Rivera’s responsibilities in the organization included controlling the telephone that was used to communicate with customers, supplying heroin to the organization’s street-level dealers, and collecting money from the dealers at the end of their shifts.
During the course of this investigation, Colon-Rivera sold large quantities of heroin to undercover agents on two separate occasions. In addition, on February 24, 2016, law enforcement agents seized 200 bags of heroin, two firearms, ammunition, and over $10,000 in cash from Colon-Rivera’s residence.
The organization distributed approximately one kilogram of heroin every two weeks. During the conspiracy, Colon-Rivera was responsible for the distribution of at least 10 kilograms of heroin.
This case is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation entitled “La Compania.” The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Orlando Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Kissimmee Police Department, the Osceola County Investigative Bureau, and the Virginia State Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Searle.
The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.