ELIAS SANCHEZ-MARTINEZ, Fentanyl and Heroin Trafficking, Connecticut 2023
A pair of Waterbury residents have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a fentanyl and heroin trafficking ring. Elias Sanchez-Martinez, 31, was sentenced to 135 months in prison, while Imirici Sosa-Ortiz, 36, also known as 'Mimi,' received 94 months.
The investigation, led by the DEA New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department, revealed that the trafficking operation, headed by Nestor Sosa-Ortiz, received large quantities of fentanyl and heroin from suppliers in Connecticut and New York.
The operation used an apartment located at 330 Bishop Street in Waterbury to store kilogram-quantities of fentanyl and heroin. Imirici Sosa-Ortiz helped manage the operation at this location.
On October 29, 2019, investigators executed search warrants at the Bishop Street apartment and seized approximately six kilograms of fentanyl and heroin, approximately 100,000 bags of fentanyl/heroin packaged for street distribution, and nearly 50 grams of fentanyl from Sanchez-Martinez's Charlevoux Street residence.
Sanchez-Martinez fled to the Dominican Republic after being released on a $100,000 bond due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was later arrested in the Dominican Republic on June 9, 2021, and has been detained since that date.
On August 29, 2022, Sanchez-Martinez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, and faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term. His bond was forfeited, with the five individuals who signed the bond responsible for paying $100,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis through the Organized Crime and Gang Section.
The investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department. Seventeen individuals were charged as a result of this investigation, including Nestor Sosa-Ortiz and his sister Isamelis Sosa-Ortiz, who both pleaded guilty.
Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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