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Pro boxer Edgar Santana busted as part of alleged major cocaine ring

Edgar Santana, the pro welterweight boxer often billed as "The Pride of Spanish Harlem," has been arrested as part of an alleged international cocaine distribution ring busted by the New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force.

Santana, 29, was picked up at his home on 102nd St. in Spanish Harlem in the early morning hours Monday.

He and 7 other alleged co-conspirators were led out of a DEA office building in lower Manhattan Monday just after 12 o'clock, to be charged in a New York State court with second-degree criminal conspiracy and first-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance.

His arms handcuffed behind him, Santana told nothing as DEA agents led him to a waiting car. On his black t-shirt was the following slogan in yellow letters: “The pressure of survival in the big city will make you lose sight of your dream...hang in there - De La Vega.”

James De La Vega is a graffiti artist in Spanish Harlem.

The DEA arrested a total of 12 individuals and recovered $450,000 and several kilograms of cocaine in a one-year investigation called "Operation Special Delivery," uncovering a plot to mail cocaine from Santana's native Puerto Rico to addresses in Manhattan and the Bronx, said a DEA source.

According to the source, Santana brokered a deal on behalf of ringleader Angel Colon. They were taken to the Special Narcotics Prosecutor's Office for arraignment at 60 Centre St.

"This organization abused the U.S. Postal Service and used packages to smuggle illicit goods into our country," told DEA special agent in charge, John P. Gilbride. "This shows the lengths drug distribution organizations will go to achieve their goal, but they willn't be successful, and will face the consequences of their actions as today's arrests demonstrate."

The strike force is composed of agents from the DEA, the NYPD, the IRS criminal investigation division, Homeland Security, FBI and other state and federal agencies. Because the case originated with the state police, it will be prosecuted in New York state court, by the office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor.

A headline attraction in promoter Lou DiBella's Broadway Boxing Series, Santana was out of boxing briefly, working as a barber in Spanish Harlem, before making a comeback.

Santana, whose record is 24-3 with 15 knockouts, was scheduled to appear in a televised fight Aug. 6 on ESPN2. His last fight was a 10-round decision victory over Josesito Lopez in Miami on April 11.

Contacted by the Daily News Friday, DiBella was shocked that Santana had been busted.

Santana busted as part of major cocaine

"That's completely out of character for him. He was close to everybody in our office. My staff is sick about this. He was just talking about opening a barbershop. I am hoping this is a mistake. But obviously if he is done something against the law, he is going to have to pay," DiBella told.

Santana began his career in a gym in Spanish Harlem and then moved to Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn, where he worked with Hector Rocca, who helped train Hilary Swank in Clint Eastwood's Academy Award-winning drama "Million Dollar Baby." His current trainer is Ernesto Dallas.

In a 2005 interview for the boxing Web site Doghouse Boxing, Santana talked about what a blessing it was to find boxing as a youngster growing up in dangerous circumstances.

"When I started boxing, I went with 7 of my friends to Mickey Rosario's gym in Spanish Harlem," Santana recalled. "I remember he told us, out of all 7 of us, only 1 or 2 of us were going to make it. He told the rest would go into a life of drugs or end up getting killed.

"Looking back I am the only 1e left. Everyone else is either in jail or is getting killed."