PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The co-leader of a drug trafficking scheme that smuggled over 200 pounds of cocaine from Puerto Rico to Rhode Island will spend a decade behind bars, U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha announced Tuesday .

Former Woonsocket residents, Efrain Colon-Garcia, 43, and his wife, Yaniris Colon-Senquiz, 47, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and unlawful use of a communication facility last September.

According to court documents, the couple worked together to orchestrate a years-long drug-trafficking organization that supplied cocaine to dealers in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Florida.

Extended family members reportedly received over 60 shipments of cocaine from Puerto Rico, using 19 different Rhode Island addresses.

Initially, the packages contained less than one kilogram of cocaine, hidden inside clothing and toys, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. However, as the operation grew, so did the parcels, with multiple kilograms of cocaine being concealed in larger items such as Bluetooth speakers and wooden wine holders.

The duo also had relatives collect and transport funds to New York. Federal prosecutors said family members were paid $1,000 for each package delivered to their homes and between $2,000 and $5,000 per trip to drive tens of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds to New York.

Law enforcement interrupted the organization in 2020.

Efrain Colon-Garcia was sentenced to ten years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, on Tuesday, July 16. Yaniris Colon-Senquiz is still waiting to be sentenced.

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