Fentanyl/Heroin Trafficking Ring Busted, 14 Charged: Indictment

NEW HAVEN, CT — A grand jury indicted 14 people mainly in the New Haven area on charges related to an alleged large heroin, cocaine and fentanyl trafficking ring.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and New Haven Police investigated heroin and cocaine trafficking that occurred in Connecticut and New Jersey, according to the indictment. Investigators made controlled purchases of drugs in October through December of 2018 and wiretapped phone calls, according to the indictment.

Four people were arrested on April 30, 2019 and 700 grams of fentanyl was found in the residence of Malbin Rubiera-Herrera in New Haven, the indictment alleges. The four were later indicted along with several others.

All defendants are charged with conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, heroin, cocaine and fentanyl. Rubiera-Herrera, Lantigua-Cid, Ramos and Abreu face at least 10 years in prison if convicted.

Claudio-Suarez, Orta-Rivas, Santos, Suarez, Llanos-Ayala and Torres face at least five years in prison if convicted.

The following people were indicted:

• MALBIN RUBIERA-HERRERA, a.k.a. “Chaca,” 28, of New Haven
• JUAN LANTIGUA-CID, a.k.a. “Manager,” 46, of Linden, New Jersey
• EDUARDO RAMOS, 33, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• BRIAN ABREU, a.k.a. “Braga,” 26, of New Haven
• WILLIAM CLAUDIO-SUAREZ, a.k.a. “Willy,” 33, of New Haven
• PEDRO ORTA-RIVAS a.k.a. “Cuba” and “El Brujo,” 50, of East Haven
• OSVALDO HODGE, a.k.a. “Mono,” 43, of New Haven
• STEVEN SANTOS, 38, of Bridgeport
• JOSE ANGEL SUAREZ, 36, of Veja Baja, Puerto Rico
• MARIO LLANOS-AYALA, 44, of Deltona, Florida
• ROBERTO ANTHONY TORRES, a.k.a. “Toni,” 52, of New Haven
• MICHAEL MILLER, 38, of New Haven
• TAKAI QUNTAY BELLAMY, 25, of New Haven
• CHRISTIAN RIVERA-TORRES, a.k.a. “Pantera,” 40, of New Haven