Feds Bust $315M Bicoastal Cocaine Ring Using Luxury Shipping Companies

September 19, 2025 • by DailyClout

Federal authorities today announced the arrest of five defendants in a sweeping case against a multimillion-dollar bicoastal cocaine trafficking ring that moved more than 20,000 kilograms of cocaine and over $100 million in drug proceeds between Los Angeles and New York City.

The 10-count superseding indictment charges the defendants with crimes ranging from conspiracy to distribute cocaine to money laundering and engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise. Prosecutors allege the organization used luxury shipping companies — typically reserved for jewelry, fine art, and precious metals — to disguise drug shipments and cash proceeds.

Defendants in New York and Los Angeles

The following defendants were arrested and arraigned:

Jamel Donald Levy, 52 (Brooklyn, NY)
Bruce Adams, 50 (Bronx, NY)
Cindy Rachel Imbert, 33 (Englewood, NJ)
Nohely Jimenez-Ruiz, 30 (Los Angeles, CA)
Lorna Martinez, 42, a.k.a. “Cookie” (Los Angeles, CA)

Two alleged ringleaders remain at the center of the case:

David Rodriguez, 45, a.k.a. “Gotti” and “Fat Boy” (Dumont, NJ)
Raymond O’Connell, 39, a.k.a. “Sal” and “White Boy” (Manhattan, NY)

Rodriguez and O’Connell, already in custody since last year, face the most severe charges, including continuing criminal enterprise — a count that carries a mandatory life sentence if convicted.

Law enforcement is also seeking:

Daniel Vega, 52, a.k.a. “Nice” (New York City)
Gregory Antonio Benitez, 40, a.k.a. “G.” (New York City)

Cocaine Moved Through Luxury Shipping Channels

According to prosecutors, the DTO operated out of a jewelry store front in downtown Los Angeles’s California Jewelry Mart. There, cocaine was packed into locked plastic cases and disguised as high-value freight before being shipped to New York’s Diamond District.

Over 800 parcels carrying cocaine — weighing 22 tons — were sent from Los Angeles to New York. Estimated wholesale value: $315 million.
Around 500 parcels containing $105 million in drug proceeds were shipped back to Los Angeles.
More than 1,300 total parcels were exchanged across the country.

The operation allegedly ran for years, with cocaine redistributed throughout the East Coast once it arrived in Manhattan.

Assets, Proceeds, and Law Enforcement Seizures

The investigation has already resulted in significant seizures:

725 kilograms (1,600 pounds) of cocaine
$2.8 million in cash
Luxury cars and jewelry purchased with drug proceeds

Prosecutors argue these seizures only scratch the surface of the DTO’s profits.

Law Enforcement Agencies Involved

The case represents one of the largest collaborative drug busts in recent years. Agencies include:

DEA (Southern California Drug Task Force / New York Division)
IRS Criminal Investigation
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
FBI
U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Customs and Border Protection
California DOJ, CHP, Glendale PD
NYPD and New York State Police

The prosecution is being led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly Larocque, Jenna Williams, and Victor Rodgers of the Southern District of New York.

What’s Next

If convicted:

Rodriguez and O’Connell face mandatory life sentences.
Cocaine trafficking charges carry 10 years to life.
Money laundering charges carry up to 20 years each.

The case underscores the federal government’s ongoing crackdown on transnational organized crime, with a focus on how DTOs adapt by using luxury logistics networks to evade traditional interdiction methods.

⚖️ As with all indictments, the charges are allegations. Every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.

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