Ezequiel Brito, Heroin and Fentanyl Trafficking, New Jersey 2021

Newark, N.J. – In a major blow to the heroin and fentanyl trafficking rings, Ezequiel Brito, a 40-year-old Dominican national, has been extradited to the United States to face charges of conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl.

According to documents filed in the case, Brito conspired to distribute and possessed with intent to distribute heroin and over 400 grams of fentanyl on or about June 17, 2021. He was first arrested and charged by complaint on the same day and was released on a $100,000 unsecured appearance bond. However, in or around September 2022, Brito absconded from pre-trial supervision and fled to the Dominican Republic.

Upon his extradition to the United States, Brito made his initial appearance on July 2, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark federal court and was detained.

The charges of conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl each carry a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, a mandatory term of 10 years’ imprisonment, and a fine of up to $10,000,000.

The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in the Dominican Republic to secure the arrest and extradition of Brito.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly M. Lyons of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit in Newark. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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