Nelson and Amauris Santos Munoz
Introduction
Nelson Santos Munoz, 33, and Amauris Santos Munoz, 34, brothers from Miami, Florida, known together as the Santos Brothers, were each convicted on September 21, 2026, of one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The verdicts followed an eight-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in Trenton federal court, announced by U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer. The case arose from the seizure of approximately 49 kilograms of cocaine in Woodbridge, New Jersey, in January 2023.
Background Information
The prosecution was brought as part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice nationwide initiative that, in the government’s words, “marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice” to repel illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime. The investigation leading to the convictions was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division under Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James, with assistance from the Woodbridge Police Department.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Convicted. Each brother was found guilty on September 21, 2026, of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute 49 kilograms of cocaine after an eight-day jury trial in Trenton.
According to documents filed in the case and the evidence presented at trial, the charges trace to January 26, 2023, when law enforcement stopped a vehicle in Woodbridge, New Jersey, carrying three individuals, including the Santos Brothers. During a search of the vehicle, officers discovered approximately 49 kilograms of cocaine, individually wrapped in packages with cellophane/plastic wrap and coffee grounds between the layers, concealed in three suitcases and a backpack. The Woodbridge stop came more than three years before the Trenton jury returned its guilty verdicts, and the seizure of such a large quantity anchored the conspiracy and possession charges the brothers faced.
A review of cell phone communications revealed that the brothers had traveled to the Dominican Republic and conspired to purchase cocaine there and transport it to the United States for distribution. After importing the cocaine into the United States, they traveled from Florida to New Jersey with the intent to distribute it.
Public Reaction and Consequences
U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced the convictions and credited the DEA’s New Jersey Division, under Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James, with the investigation, while thanking the Woodbridge Police Department for its assistance. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Farhana C. Melo and Christopher Fell of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. Nelson Santos Munoz was defended by Paul Condon, Esq., of Jersey City, New Jersey, while Amauris Santos Munoz was defended by William Strazza, Esq., of Chester, New Jersey. The consequence of the verdicts is severe: each count carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, up to life imprisonment, and a maximum fine of $10 million.
Current Status
Both brothers stand convicted and await sentencing, which is scheduled for February 4, 2027, before Judge Quraishi in Trenton. Because they were found guilty of identical counts, each faces the same framework: a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years per count, a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment, and a maximum fine of $10 million per count. No sentence has yet been imposed on either man, and their ultimate terms of imprisonment remain undetermined until the February hearing.
Impact on Their Career/Life
The verdicts guarantee that each brother will serve at least a decade in federal prison, with a possible life term given the maximums attached to the counts. At 33 and 34 years old, the Miami pair now carry federal cocaine-trafficking convictions that will govern their circumstances for decades, whatever terms Judge Quraishi imposes on February 4, 2027. Their case also stands among the results the Justice Department publicizes under Operation Take Back America.
Sources
- U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey, “Brothers Convicted for Conspiracy to Distribute 49 Kilograms of Cocaine” — source