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Three Men Sentenced in Florida Keys Cocaine Trafficking Case

Three Marathon men received federal prison sentences ranging from 65 to 120 months for their roles in a cocaine distribution network.

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 20, 2026, 9:24 a.m. ET
On August 11, 2026, U.S. District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz II three men from Marathon, Florida, to federal prison for their involvement in a Florida Keys cocaine distribution network, according to an announcement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida. John Robert Strama Jr., 44, was to 120 months in prison; Pedro Luis Lugo Jr., 38, was to 85 months in prison; and Elvis Lazaro Ruiz, 34, was to 65 months in prison. Strama and Ruiz previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, while Lugo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. According to court records, Strama, Ruiz, and Lugo were held responsible for distributing between 15 and 50 kilograms of cocaine during a conspiracy that operated from at least 2020 through 2023. Court records state that Strama, identified as a leader of the organization and a professional boat operator, obtained cocaine by locating and recovering waterproof-wrapped kilogram packages found at sea using his knowledge of local waterways, tides, and currents, then distributed it throughout the Florida Keys. "Fishing for 'square groupers' in the waters off the Florida Keys is not a harmless pastime; it is drug trafficking, and it carries serious consequences," said Jason A. Reding Quiñones, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. A total of 27 defendants were charged under case number 24-cr-20386. To date, 25 defendants have been , while Kizmet Yatz Qualls and Daniel Fernando Ramirez are scheduled to be at a later date. The case was investigated by FBI Miami and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean McLaughlin and Frank Tamen.

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  1. Version 120 Aug 2026, 13:24current

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