New London A Focal Point In Enormous Drug Bust

New London was a central point in a series of drug raids conducted across New London County this morning, with the investigation into the activity beginning in the New London Police Department. 

More than 700 law enforcement officers were involved in arresting 103 people in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, and Puerto Rico today. All have been charged with involvement in large-scale cocaine and heroin trafficking between southeastern Connecticut and the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

“This law enforcement operation is the culmination of a long-term investigation that was initiated by members of the New London Police Department, Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Secret Service,” New London Police Chief Margret Ackley said in a statement. “The New London Police Department has dedicated numerous officers to this investigation, and an operation of this size is not possible without the assistance of our federal partners. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the dedicated officers of the New London Police Department and all of our federal partners for making this law enforcement operation possible and actively working to make our community a safer place.”

According to a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office, the arrests related to overlapping heroin and cocaine distribution rings. The larger conspiracy was unearthed in 2012 during an investigation of narcotics trafficking and money laundering in New London, and today’s arrests followed a 15-month investigation involving court-ordered wiretaps of 15 phones, physical surveillance, and controlled drug purchases.

“We allege that the defendants arrested today were responsible for a very large percentage of the heroin and cocaine available for street sale in New London County,” United States Attorney David Fein said in a statement.  “As is clear from this extensive and far-reaching investigation and today’s coordinated operation, we in federal, state and local law enforcement are committed to working together, across state and federal borders, to disrupt the flow of illegal narcotics and to identifying and seizing assets purchased with the proceeds of drug trafficking.”

Mayor Daryl Finizio said the multi-agency investigation is ongoing and hoped that the arrests would be a signal that drug traffickers are not welcome in the city. He thanked Ackley and Deputy Chief Peter Reichard for their work on the case.

"They have put in countless hours in this effort, as have numerous officers," he said.

Heroin conspiracy

Fein said the investigation determined that Luis Ariel Capellan Maldonado worked out of a Hawthorne Ave. apartment building and regularly acquired multi-kilogram amounts of heroin from the Dominican Republic. Fein said Capellan Maldonado supplied customers with raw heroin, often in amounts of 50 to 150 grams, and sometimes supplied cocaine wholesale to dealers in the city.

Fein said Maldonado, a Dominican Republic citizen, coordinated heroin and sometimes cocaine shipments from the country via human couriers and that he also got the drugs from sources in New York City and Rhode Island. In turn, he allegedly returned thousands of dollars in drug proceeds to the Dominican Republic.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office has also accused Enrique Luciano, or “Ipi,” of associating with Capellan Maldonado to supply wholesale cocaine and heroin amounts to Miguel Morales, also known as “Neow” and others for distribution and street sales in and around New London.

Cocaine conspiracy

Investigators say Groton resident Pedro Rivera, also known as “Cheito,” and associate and Waterford resident Luis Zayas, also known as “Guichan,” obtained cocaine from sources in Puerto Rico. Fein said several methods were used to acquire the drug, including sending it by mail.

Fein said Rivera and Zayas supplied other individuals including Frankie Rivera, who is accused of selling cocaine out of his Westwood Ave. business PR Speedshop. Another individual accused of selling cocaine from a New London business is Oscar Valentin, also known as “Tato,” who is accused of receiving drugs from Rivera and others and selling them from a garage he managed at the corner of Walker Street and Bristol Street.

Investigators also charged Groton resident Juan G. Cheverez, also known as “Guinchi,” of receiving kilogram quantities of cocaine via mail from Puerto Rico resident Axel Matta, or “Joelito.” Fein said Cheverez sometimes received cocaine from Zayas and that he was assisted by others in distributing cocaine around New London and transporting money to Puerto Rico.

Fein said that during the course of the investigation, three individuals were previously arrested on federal firearms charges and five individuals were arrested on state narcotics charges.

Investigation and reaction

Of those arrested, 52 were charged with federal narcotics and money laundering offenses while 51 were charged with state narcotics offenses and related charges. Officers executed several search warrants and seized narcotics, firearms, vehicles, and cash.

“Drug trafficking organizations must be aggressively attacked and dismantled at every level,” said Bruce M. Foucart, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations’ office in Boston, which oversees New England investigations. “Today we have stopped two criminal organizations from bringing significant quantities of heroin and cocaine into our communities in Connecticut and throughout New England. The result of this operation is nothing short of significant and it underscores what the people expect from law enforcement: Keep drugs out of our neighborhoods. These arrests will keep the citizens of New England safer from the inevitable violence that drug trafficking brings, and chokes off a major drug stream into Connecticut – the largest our agency has ever uncovered in the state's history.”

Norwich Police Chief Louis J. Fusaro Sr. and Col. Danny Stebbins of the Connecticut State Police praised the result of the investigation as a benefit of interagency cooperation.

“When local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies all work together the resulting arrests speak for themselves,” Fusaro said. “I am very pleased with the outcome of this law enforcement operation. The arrests made today and the prosecution of these individuals will have a huge effect on illicit activity in the city of Norwich and this region, now and into the future.”

“The extraordinary teamwork of local, state and federal law enforcement contributed to today’s successful operation,” said Stebbins.

The arrests were a result of a cooperative effort by federal, state, and local authorities. Participating departments included Homeland Security Investigations, including offices in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico; the U.S. Secret Service; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Air and Marine; the U.S. Marshals Service; Immigrations and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation; the Connecticut Department of Correction, Parole and Community Services; the Connecticut State Police; and local police departments in Bristol, East Lyme, Groton, Groton City, New Haven, New London, Norwich, Putnam, and Willimantic.

Federal defendants in the case:

• LUIS ARIEL CAPELLAN MALDONADO, also known as “Ariel,” 38, of New London
  
• JOSE REYNOSO-MONEGRO, also known as “Culito,” 44, of New York, N.Y.
  
• ISIDRO SUAREZ, also known as “El Diamante Negro” and “Moreno,” 47, of The Bronx, N.Y.
  
• ISAAC VARGAS GUABA, also known as “Guaba,” 28, of New London
  
• JOHNATAN ALVARADO, also known as “the Mexican,” 39, of Pawtucket, R.I.
  
• EMMANUEL BLANCO BALBUENA, 28, of New London
  
• AARON MOORE, 35, currently in state custody
  
• XAVIER CLUFF, 40, of Groton
  
• RAMON GARCIA, 39, of New London
  
• ISRAEL RODRIGUEZ, also known as “Ily,” 34, of Norwich
  
• LUIS MARTINEZ, 33, of Salem
  
• ORLANDO SANTIAGO, 38, of New London
  
• WILLIAM ANDERSON, 26, of New London
  
• ANA ANDERSON, 38, of New London
  
• DANIEL RODRIGUEZ, 28, of New London
  
• EFRAIN HERNANDEZ VAZQUEZ, also known as “Frank,” 37, of Groton
  
• LESTER FANTAUZZI, 46, of Niantic
  
• ABDUL RODRIGUEZ, 33, of Norwich
  
•  ENRIQUE LUCIANO, also known as “Ipi,” 37, of New London
  
• MIGUEL MORALES, also known as “Neow,” 48, of New London
  
• ISAAC J. RIVERA, also known as “Lito,” 28, of Groton
  
• CRUZ J. BONILLA, also known as “Jay,” 29, of New London
  
• EDDIE RODRIGUEZ, also known as “Joel,” 29, of New London
  
• JOSE MORALES, 52, of New London
  
• EDWIN CEPEDA, 33, of New London
  
• CARLOS DAVILA, also known as “Carlitos,” 27, of New London
  
• LARRY HARRIS, 57, of Bridgeport
  
• ABNEL RODRIGUEZ, also known as “El Menor,” 21, of New London
  
• PEDRO RIVERA, also known as “Cheito,” 34, of Groton
  
• LUIS ZAYAS, also known as “Guichan,” 35, of Waterford
  
• RICARDO DAVILA MERCADO, also known as “Voltio,” 28, of Groton
  
• FRANKIE RIVERA, 21, of New London
  
• ORLANDO GONZALEZ-ROMAN, also known as “Bebo,” 23, of Groton 
  
• JUAN G. CHEVEREZ, also known as “Guinchi,” 30, of Groton
  
• JUAN HERNANDEZ, also known as “Johnny” and “Enano,” 29, of Mystic
  
• AXEL MATTA FIGUEROA, also known as “Joelito,” 31, of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico
  
• PEDRO GIL RIVERA ORTIZ, also known as “Gil,” 47, of New London
  
• JOSE A. VALENTIN SANCHEZ, 52, of New London
  
• JUAN L. CHEVEREZ, also known as “Bolillo,” 25, of Morovis, Puerto Rico
  
• JULIO OTERO, 41, of Hartford
  
• JULIO MADERA FREYTES, 25, of Springfield, Mass.
  
• ADDISMALICB ROSARIO, also known as “Adi,” 44, of New London
  
• EDGARDO CENTENO, 41, of New London
  
• OSCAR VALENTIN, also known as “Tato” 39, of New London
  
• ANGEL COLLAZO GARCIA, also known as “Yuyo,” 45, of New London
  
• IVETTE PAGAN RODRIGUEZ, “Ivy,” 62, of Morovis, Puerto Rico
  
• JUAN RIVERA ORTIZ, “Cheo” 68, of Morovis, Puerto Rico
  

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