Waterbury Cocaine Kingpin Bebe Sentenced to Over 3 Years

WATERBURY, CT – CARMELO CANCEL, alias ‘Bebe,’ a 31-year-old from Waterbury, has been sentenced to 37 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for his role as a cocaine distributor within two drug trafficking organizations in the city. United States Attorney David X. Sullivan announced the sentence.

The investigation, led by the FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task Force and involving other law enforcement agencies, targeted two major drug rings in Waterbury. One was run by Angel Quiros, known as ‘Papa John,’ on William Street, while Daniel Diaz-Rivera operated from Maple Avenue. Cancel supplied cocaine to both groups.

Cancel, along with 14 others, faced federal charges stemming from the probe. They were nabbed during a series of coordinated arrests and searches that yielded a massive haul: nearly 700 grams of crack cocaine, over 900 vials of crack, around 200 grams of fentanyl, more than 1,600 dose bags of fentanyl/heroin, two stolen firearms, numerous rounds of ammunition, and over $39,000 in cash.

On April 23, 2025, Cancel pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine. He was released on a $100,000 bond but must report to prison on September 17. Meanwhile, Quiros and Diaz-Rivera also pleaded guilty to related charges, with Quiros awaiting his own sentencing and Diaz-Rivera receiving 210 months in prison.

The FBI’s task force involved agents from the FBI, Waterbury Police Department, Naugatuck Police Department, and Connecticut Department of Correction. The DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Connecticut State Police, Wolcott Police Department, and Meriden Police Department also contributed to the investigation.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth and Shan Patel under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. For more information on OCDETF, visit https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. U.S. Attorney Sullivan extended his gratitude to the Waterbury State Attorney’s Office for their cooperation in this case.