MARATHON, Fla. (CBS12) — Three Florida men have been sentenced to prison for operating a large-scale cocaine trafficking operation in the Florida Keys.
The U.S. Department of Justice for the Southern District of Florida announced Tuesday that:
John Robert Strama, 44, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.Pedro Luis Lugo Jr., 38, was sentenced to seven years in prison.Elvis Lazaro Ruiz, 34, was sentenced to five years in prison.
Strama and Ruiz previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Lugo also pleaded guilty to distributing about 500 kilograms or more of cocaine.
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According to the DOJ, the three men were among 27 people charged in a federal indictment stemming from a cocaine distribution network that operated from 2020 to 2023.
The DOJ said Strama was identified as the leader of the organization. Prosecutors alleged he used his knowledge as a boat operator to recover dozens of kilograms of cocaine over the course of the conspiracy. He then distributed the cocaine to buyers and co-conspirators throughout the Florida Keys.
Strama, Ruiz and Lugo were held responsible for distributing between 15 and 20 kilograms of cocaine during the conspiracy.
To date, 25 defendants have been sentenced.