LUIS TORRES ORTIZ, 25, of New Britain, Connecticut, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation led by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force identified Joseph Giovanni Soto as the leader of a cocaine trafficking operation that involved the shipment of parcels containing kilogram quantities of cocaine from U.S. Post Offices in Puerto Rico to various “drop addresses” in New Britain and Meriden, Connecticut, as well as addresses in Holyoke and West Springfield, Massachusetts.
The organization used “runners” to pick up the parcels from the drop addresses and deliver them to Soto’s residence in Bloomfield and the residence of Soto’s uncle, Ramon Soto, in New Britain. Typically, Ramon Soto, at Joseph Soto’s direction, then delivered the cocaine to individuals in the Bronx, New York, and elsewhere, in return for payment.
During the investigation, task force members intercepted and seized 10 suspicious parcels, each of which contained approximately two kilograms of cocaine, and identified approximately 280 suspicious parcels likely containing kilogram quantities of cocaine that had been delivered to the various drop addresses.
LUIS TORRES ORTIZ was arrested on December 19, 2024. On September 19, 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
LUIS TORRES ORTIZ, who is currently out on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on April 21, 2026.
This matter has been investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force, which includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, the Connecticut State Police, the Hartford Police Department, and the Plainville Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Levick and Konstantin Lantsman.
Defendant’s full name: LUIS TORRES ORTIZ
Exact criminal charges: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine
City and state: New Britain, Connecticut
Exact date: September 19, 2025 (sentencing)
Sentence or outcome: 60 months of imprisonment and four years of supervised release
Dollar amounts: $50,000 (bond)
Related Federal Cases
- ERICK SUAREZ, Cocaine Trafficking, Connecticut 2018 · Puerto Rico
- Miguel Freytes, Cocaine Trafficking, Connecticut 2020 · Puerto Rico
- Jason Walker, Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base, Connecticut 2018 · Puerto Rico
- Jill Mulligan, Meth Trafficking, Connecticut 2024 · Puerto Rico
- Efrain Colon-Garcia, Cocaine Trafficking, Rhode Island 2020 · Puerto Rico
Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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