On a crisp September evening in 2019, Amed Alberto Alvarado-Baquedano, a 35-year-old father of two, was celebrating a family member's birthday in Newburgh, New York. Tragically, his life was cut short when he became an innocent bystander in a violent shootout. At approximately 11:15 p.m. on September 21st, multiple shots were fired in the vicinity of Liberty Street and Clinton Street, where Alvarado-Baquedano was fatally wounded.
Another individual, an 18-year-old male, was also shot twice but survived his injuries.
The investigation into the senseless killing of Alvarado-Baquedano eventually led to a sweeping federal indictment targeting a violent drug trafficking and racketeering network that operated from Mexico to the Hudson Valley. This criminal enterprise was allegedly involved in narcotics distribution, murder, and firearms trafficking.
In connection with the murder of Amed Alberto Alvarado-Baquedano, seven men were indicted. Kalif Cox, 28, was specifically accused of the murder. The other individuals charged in the extensive indictment were Carlos Molina Rodriguez, 31; Samuel Blain, 36; Carlos Martinez, 35; Justice Beard, 36; Calvin Lewis, 36; and Emmanuel Idyis, 25.
Prosecutors allege that the shooting was the result of a gang-related gunfight. The indictment outlines a sophisticated criminal operation that smuggled significant quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl into the United States. The defendants are all in custody awaiting trial and, if convicted, they could face sentences up to mandatory life in prison. The collaborative investigation that led to these arrests involved federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
