Related videos:
A grand federal jury from the Southern District of Florida filed charges this Monday against five men from South Florida for their involvement in an international cocaine trafficking network that operated from a luxurious skyscraper in Midtown Miami, according to an official statement from the Department of Justice.
The operation, called "Operation Mousetrap", dismantled an organization that transported narcotics from Colombia, through the Dominican Republic, to South Florida.
The operation concluded with the discovery of 536 kilograms of cocaine, 14 firearms -including a serial-less AK-47- and approximately 3.1 million dollars in cash inside the apartment.
The five defendants and their charges
The defendants are:
-Daniel "Mickey" Hernández, 38 years old, from Miami.
-Frank González, 45 years old and a resident of Hialeah.
Alexander "Al Biggs" Walker Caraballo, 50 years old, from Miami.
José Luis "Lil Cuz" Díaz, 33 years old, from Miami Gardens.
-Humberto "Kiki" Moreno, 42 years old, from Miami.
Until the closure of this report, the nationality of the arrested individuals has not been disclosed.
They all face charges of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Hernández and Díaz are also facing charges for drug distribution offenses, while Walker and González face additional accusations for possession with intent to distribute, possession of firearms to facilitate drug trafficking, and possession of firearms as previously convicted felons.
The investigators identified Hernández as the key distributor, with Moreno, Caraballo, and González among his suppliers and associates.
The luxury apartment as a command center
According to court documents, “agents traced the operation to a skyscraper in Midtown Miami, where the cocaine was stored and prepared for distribution.”
After executing the search warrant, Walker was arrested, and the agents recovered additional cocaine packaged for street distribution, along with cash hidden in secret compartments of his vehicle.
The operation was allegedly led by Andy Gabriel Mercedes-Hernández, who oversaw the storage and distribution of the shipments with the assistance of approximately 20 people, including boat captains, security personnel, and street distributors.
In addition to the five main defendants, Jesús Alberto Salcedo-Pérez, Keisy Estibet Peguero, Enmanuel Amauris Rivera-Cabrera, and Mario Joel Rijo-Jiménez were also arrested.
Additional charges were also filed against suppliers in the Dominican Republic and Colombia.
A maritime network of up to 1,700 kilos per trip
Operation Mousetrap is part of a broader research effort that includes "Operation Horseman's Voyage," which focuses on maritime trafficking networks.
According to the Department of Justice, "investigators identified a network that was importing up to 1,700 kilograms of cocaine aboard high-end fishing vessels traveling from the Dominican Republic to Miami."
In October 2025, authorities arrested two suspects and seized over $250,000 in drug trafficking profits hidden in a vehicle, and in a separate interdiction they confiscated more than 1,600 kilograms of cocaine from a vessel.
A previous operation, the "Final Voyage Operation," resulted in the pursuit of high-level traffickers and the cooperation of more than 90 individuals charged.
This is not the first time that authorities in South Florida have targeted similar networks: in August 2025, the largest cocaine seizure in history was made by the Coast Guard, with over 34,800 kilograms offloaded at Port Everglades.
Additionally, in April of last year, almost $510 million in drugs linked to Mexican cartels were seized.
If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to life imprisonment for the charge of conspiracy; Walker and González also face additional sentences of up to life for firearm offenses.
The investigation was led by the DEA in Miami with support from the ATF, Homeland Security Investigations, the Miami Police, the Coast Guard, and the Florida National Guard, among other agencies, as part of the National Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159.
The Department of Justice reminded that "an accusation is simply an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt."
Filed under: