Nelson Reyes Luciano, Cocaine, Fentanyl Trafficking, Rhode Island 2026

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island - A brazen plot to smuggle cocaine and fentanyl into the Ocean State has been brought to a close, with a 41-year-old Dominican national behind bars for his role in the scheme.

Nelson Reyes Luciano, a Rhode Island resident, was sentenced on April 16, 2026, to 78 months of imprisonment to be followed by 5 years of supervised release and a $300 special assessment, according to a federal court in Rhode Island.

The defendant was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. Over a six-week period beginning in February 2022, Reyes Luciano shipped multiple packages containing cocaine and fentanyl from California to the Providence home of co-conspirator Rosangeles Bueno.

Bueno was charged and convicted in a separate case in the District of Rhode Island, No. 22-cr-00090-WES-PAS. The defendant and co-conspirator Bueno regularly communicated about the shipments of the drugs sent to her home and her receipt and storage of the drugs.

According to court documents, Reyes Luciano is responsible for the receipt of approximately eight kilograms of cocaine and 2.2 kilograms of fentanyl. During execution of a court-authorized search warrant at Bueno’s home, law enforcement found cocaine and fentanyl as well as scales, baggies, presses, molds, and respirators that are used for packaging drugs for distribution.

“Trafficking fentanyl and cocaine is a dangerous and deliberate act that claims lives within Rhode Island and communities throughout our country,” said United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda. “This sentence should send a clear message to those who chose to engage in this type of criminal conduct that we will investigate, prosecute, and hold them accountable.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Denise M. Barton and Stacey A. Erickson. The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with the assistance of the DEA, and Warwick, Newport, Central Falls, and Providence Police Departments.

Nelson Reyes Luciano, 41, Defendant

Criminal Charges: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine.

City and State: Providence, Rhode Island

Exact Date: April 16, 2026 (sentencing date)

Sentence: 78 months of imprisonment to be followed by 5 years of supervised release and a $300 special assessment

Dollar Amounts: $300 special assessment

Companies and Law Enforcement Agencies Involved: Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), DEA, Warwick, Newport, Central Falls, and Providence Police Departments.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ri/pr/dominican-national-sentenced-role-cocaine-fentanyl-trafficking-conspiracy