Authorities Break Up Connecticut-Puerto Rico Cocaine Operation

WEST HARTFORD, CT — A federal grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment on Thursday charging seven people with trafficking cocaine from Puerto Rico to Connecticut through the U.S. Mail and using West Hartford Storage units to stash cash and equipment, federal authorities said.

John H. Durham, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut; Albert Angelucci, acting special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England; and Shelly A. Binkowski made the announcement in a joint news release.

Charged in the indictment are:

• Erick Suarez, 29, of New Britain
• Luis Collazzo-Rivera, 37, of Caguas, Puerto Rico
• Jerry Rodriguez, 28, of Hartford, who goes by the street name of “Bebo”
• Luis Gonzalez-Ofarril, 23, of New Britain
• Luis Torres, 35, of New Britain
• Gregory Torres, 39, of Hartford
• Jose Romero-Maysonet, 30, of Loiza, Puerto Rico

According to court records, since December 2017, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service has been investigating a drug trafficking organization that was sending Priority Mail parcels containing kilogram-quantities of cocaine through the U.S. Mail from Puerto Rico to Connecticut and elsewhere.

The investigation revealed that Suarez coordinated shipments of cocaine from Collazo-Rivera, Romero-Maysonet and others in Puerto Rico to addresses in New Britain, Hartford, Newington, East Hartford and Bridgeport, as well as Springfield, across the Massachusetts line, according to the news release.

To date, investigators have identified more than 50 suspect parcels mailed by the drug trafficking organization from Puerto Rico, investigators said. Investigators intercepted five of the suspect parcels, each of which contained approximately 1 kilogram of cocaine, according to the news release.

On April 10, investigators arrested Rodriguez, Gonzalez-Ofarril, Luis Torres and Gregory Torres in Connecticut, and Collazo-Rivera and Romero-Maysonet in Puerto Rico.

On that date, a search of Rodriguez’s Hartford residence revealed approximately 400 grams of cocaine, approximately 160 grams of heroin, items used to process and package narcotics for street sale, and a loaded .45 caliber handgun, according to the news release.

Also on that date, investigators searched Suarez’s residence, as well as two storage units used by Suarez and one storage unit used by Rodriguez in West Hartford. The search of Suarez’s storage units revealed approximately $40,000 in cash and a search of Rodriguez’s storage unit revealed additional items used to process and package narcotics, authorities said.

Suarez was arrested on April 12.

The indictment charges each of the defendants with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. If convicted of the charge, "based on their conduct and the quantity of cocaine involved in the conspiracy," Suarez, Collazo-Rivera and Rodriguez face a minimum prison term of 10 years and a maximum term of life, according to the news release.

Gonzalez-Ofarril, Luis Torres, Gregory Torres and Romero-Maysonet face a minimum prison term of five years and a maximum term of 40 years, according to a news release.

The indictment also charges Rodriguez with one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, an offense that carries a maximum prison term of 20 years, and one count of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, an offense that carries a minimum term of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years.

Suarez, Collazo-Rivera and Rodriguez have been detained since their arrests. Gonzalez-Ofarril, Luis Torres, Gregory Torres and Romero-Maysonet are released on bonds pending trial.

The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic police departments assisted with the investigation.

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