Heroin Distribution Ring Busted By Feds In Milwaukee's South Side

19 of the suspects were arrested on Tuesday, while four of the suspects were already in federal custody, according to a federal indictment.

By H. Nelson Goodson

September 10, 2013

Milwaukee, WI - On Tuesday, the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that 19 suspects had been taken into custody and charged in a federal court with conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, more than 1kilogram heroin. Four other suspects had been already in custody, making a total of 23 suspects that were indicted.

Each suspect faces from 10 years to life in a federal prison, $10M in fines and a minimum of five years supervision, if convicted. 

A task force of law enforcement officers, including federal agents executed warrants at seven locations in the south side of Milwaukee earlier in the day. They seized over $300,000 in cash and five firearms.

Within a week they confiscated over one kilogram of heroin.

The federal indictment alleged that the ring leaders, Victor Reyes, Geraldo Reyes and Praxedes Reyes who are all brothers operated the cocaine and heroin distribution from the south side of Milwaukee for years. None of the defendants have been tied to any foreign drug cartel.

"The Reyes brothers received their heroin primarily from Santiago Hernández out of Chicago, though they did occasionally use other sources," according to the feds.

Defendants are:

● Praxedes Reyes-Burgos, aka, "Gordo", 35, Milwaukee

● Victor M. Reyes, aka, "El Tiburon", 34, Milwaukee

● Geraldo S. Reyes, aka, "Sapo", 38, Milwaukee

● Jonathan R. Hernàndez, aka, "Joey" aka "Yogi", 29, Milwaukee

● Mike M. Hinz, 62, Milwaukee

● Juan Hernández, aka, "Kiko", 47, Milwaukee

● Luis A. Lopez, 33, Milwaukee

● Luz E. Reyes-Burgos, aka, "Betty", 45, Milwaukee

● Luz Burgos, 65, Milwaukee

● Praxedes Reyes-Cruz, 64, Milwaukee

● Joel E. Lopez, aka, "Looney", 28, Milwaukee

● Alfredo A. Hernández III, aka, "Azteca" aka "Mexico", 32, Milwaukee

● Israel Feliciano, aka, "Pigui", 47, Milwaukee

● Alexis J. Reyes, aka, "Chino", 25, Milwaukee

● Jesus Oquendo, aka, "Bobby", 24, Milwaukee

● Angel L. Reyes, aka, "Tuto", 24, Milwaukee

● Carmen R. Nieves, 34, Milwaukee

● Mirta Reyes, 27, Milwaukee

● Lidia Herrera-Diaz, aka, "Carmen", 38, Milwaukee

● Christian Rivera, 27, Milwaukee

● Christopher A. Malzhan, 26, Ripon

● Santiago Hernåndez, aka, "Primo", 49, Chicago

● Carlos J. Manzanares, 29, Chicago