NEW CASTLE, Pa. — Two men who were charged in a cocaine trafficking operation that originated in Puerto Rico have been sentenced to prison.
Luciano Bratini Rivera, 37, and Markus Hobel, 35, both of New Castle, were two out of 17 people from Lawrence County, Puerto Rico and Ohio to be charged in relation to the drug operation.
Rivera was sentenced to 97 months in prison followed by a four-year supervised release. Hobel was sentenced to 72 months in prison followed by a five-year supervised release.
Evidence in court implied Rivera was working with Daniel Feliciano, the alleged leader of the trafficking organization, to import the cocaine from Puerto Rico. He then allegedly worked with Hobel who distributed the drugs throughout New Castle and Ellwood City.
Police said Rivera was storing more than $11,000 and at least five kilograms of cocaine when they arrested him in March 2024.
Lawrence County is considered a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area by the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy.
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