Erick Suarez, Cocaine Trafficking, Connecticut 2023

Seven men have been indicted for their roles in a cocaine trafficking ring that sent kilogram-quantities of the drug through the U.S. Mail from Puerto Rico to Connecticut.

According to a federal indictment, Erick Suarez, 29, of New Britain, coordinated shipments of cocaine from Luis Collazo-Rivera, 37, of Caguas, Puerto Rico, Jose Romero-Maysonet, 30, of Loiza, Puerto Rico, and others in Puerto Rico to addresses in New Britain, Hartford, Newington, East Hartford, and Bridgeport, as well as Springfield, Massachusetts.

The investigation, which began in December 2017, revealed that Suarez and his co-conspirators sent over 50 suspect parcels through the U.S. Mail, including five that were intercepted by investigators and found to contain approximately one kilogram of cocaine each.

On April 10, 2018, investigators arrested Jerry Rodriguez, 28, a.k.a. 'Bebo,' of Hartford, Luis Gonzalez-Ofarril, 23, of New Britain, Luis Torres, 35, of New Britain, and Gregory Torres, 39, of Hartford, in Connecticut, and Collazo-Rivera and Romero-Maysonet in Puerto Rico.

A search of Rodriguez's Hartford residence revealed approximately 400 grams of cocaine, 160 grams of heroin, and a loaded .45 caliber handgun. Investigators also searched Suarez's residence, as well as two storage units used by Suarez and one storage unit used by Rodriguez in West Hartford, and found approximately $40,000 in cash and additional items used to process and package narcotics.

The indictment charges each of the defendants with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. If convicted, Suarez, Collazo-Rivera, and Rodriguez face a minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life, while Gonzalez-Ofarril, Luis Torres, Gregory Torres, and Romero-Maysonet face a minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years.

U.S. Attorney John H. Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/investigation-puerto-rico-connecticut-cocaine-trafficking-ring-results-indictment-against