3 People Ship Cocaine Through Mail From Puerto Rico To RI: Feds

PROVIDENCE, RI — Three people were charged in federal court Tuesday after prosecutors said they trafficked cocaine from Puerto Rico to Cocaine through the United States Postal Service.

May Rosario, 27, Patri Hiciano Felix, 24, and Rafael Fleury Munoz, 22, all of Providence, were charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing cocaine; possession with intent to distribute 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing cocaine; and unlawful use of a communication facility (including the mail) to facilitate the distribution of a controlled substance.

On Saturday, a USPS mail carrier was approached by a man seeking to grab a Priority Express parcel she was preparing to deliver to a Providence home. According to court documents, the man, who refused to provide an ID to the carrier, showed the postal carrier a photo of the package, claiming that the package had been sent to him.

The carrier refused to provide the package to the man and left the area, taking the package with her. As she drove away, the man followed her in his vehicle, prosecutors said.

Two days later, authorities learned someone was tracking the delivery of a package addressed to a Johnston home. Rhode Island State Police surveyed the Johnston home and said they saw a vehicle slowly drive through the area twice.

Moments after the package was delivered to the front porch of the residence, a person ran out from behind the building to the front porch and then entered the building, prosecutors said. About 20 minutes later, State Police said they saw the same vehicle driving through the area reappear.

Prosecutors said the person previously seen running into the building ran back out with the Priority Mail parcel and got into the vehicle, which then drove away.

A State Police cruiser nearby stopped the vehicle. Inside was a package delivered to the Johnston home and Rosario, Hiciano Felix and Fleury Munoz, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said police searched the car and found 1,070 grams of cocaine in the package.

In the package addressed to the Providence residence, State Police found 1,150 grams of cocaine, authorities said. Prosecutors said the mail carrier identified Rosario as the person attempting to retrieve the package on March 26.