Two men from New Bedford, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland to charges related to a February 2024 drive-by shooting in Saco, Maine. Joshua Estrada, also known as “Mac,” 20, and Yancarlos Abrante, also known as “Glizzy,” 22, admitted guilt to a three-count superseding indictment that included conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, perpetrating a drive-by shooting, and using a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
Court records indicate that on February 9, 2024, Estrada and Abrante fired at least five rounds from a 9mm handgun into another vehicle following a dispute over the drug trade. After the shooting, they fled the scene by driving against traffic and running a red light before crashing into another passenger vehicle and a school bus. Video footage from another driver showed them leaving their vehicle and fleeing on foot. Records show that Estrada, Abrante, and others had been involved in cocaine trafficking in Saco and Biddeford since at least January 2024.
A third defendant in the case, Jason Johnson-Rivera (also known as “Ouda”), 20, is expected to go to trial later this year.
“Today’s guilty pleas by Joshua Estrada and Yancarlos Abrante are the result of a tireless and cooperative investigation by local, state and federal law enforcement,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Craig M. Wolff. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and its partners are united in bringing to justice those who distribute drugs and commit acts of violence in this state.”
“These two violent, dangerous men committed a brazen, drive-by shooting in Saco in broad daylight following a dispute over the cocaine they were trafficking,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “Their unabashed criminal behavior put innocent lives at risk, all so they could maintain their hold on their drug territory and keep the cash rolling in. This case underscores how the FBI’s Southern Maine Gang Task Force and our law enforcement partners are working together to target and dismantle the violent drug gangs wreaking so much havoc in our communities, just to make money and a name for themselves on the street.”
Estrada and Abrante face mandatory minimum sentences of 20 years imprisonment with possible maximum sentences of life imprisonment. They may also be fined up to $10 million each and will be subject to not less than five years of supervised release after serving their prison terms. Sentencing will take place after completion of presentence investigative reports by the U.S. Probation Office; final sentencing decisions will be made by a federal district court judge according to federal guidelines.
The investigation was conducted by multiple agencies including the Saco Police Department, FBI’s Southern Maine Gang Task Force, U.S. Border Patrol, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with assistance from New Bedford Police Department.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that coordinates efforts among various levels of law enforcement agencies with community organizations aimed at reducing violent crime—including gun violence—and improving neighborhood safety across the country through focused strategies such as building trust within communities; supporting violence prevention programs; setting strategic enforcement priorities; and measuring outcomes (more information available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn).
