Waterbury, CT – Daniel Diaz-Rivera, affectionately known by aliases like “Danny,” “Lupin,” and “Lupito,” was today locked up for a staggering 210 months in federal prison, marking the culmination of a relentless investigation into a city-ravaging drug ring. United States Attorney David X. Sullivan of the District of Connecticut announced the sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea.
Diaz-Rivera, now 33 years old, was at the helm of a criminal enterprise that distributed cocaine, crack, and fentanyl from Maple Avenue in Waterbury. The investigation, spearheaded by the FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task Force, revealed a sophisticated network that operated day and night, selling drugs with an iron fist.
According to court documents, law enforcement agents conducted wiretaps, video surveillance, GPS tracking, and numerous controlled purchases of narcotics to dismantle Diaz-Rivera’s operation. They caught the defendant red-handed during two crack cocaine transactions. His reign of terror was marked by violence and intimidation, which he used to control his street-level distributors.
Angel Quiros, also known as “Papa John,” led another drug trafficking organization operating in Waterbury, with both rings sharing sources of supply and working together to expand their reach. Both leaders were among the 16 individuals charged following a massive investigation that resulted in numerous search warrants and the seizure of hundreds of grams of crack cocaine, fentanyl, firearms, cash, and more.
Diaz-Rivera pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine on January 24, 2025. His arrest on November 29, 2023, was followed by the execution of multiple search warrants, leading to the seizure of a substantial amount of drugs and cash. Angel Quiros, who pleaded guilty on February 11, 2025, is awaiting his sentence.
The FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which includes members from local police departments and federal agencies like the DEA and U.S. Marshals Service, played a crucial role in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth and Shan Patel prosecuted the case through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. U.S. Attorney Sullivan commended the Waterbury State Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in this high-profile investigation.
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Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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