Willie Franco, Narcotics Trafficking, Connecticut 2025

NEW HAVEN, CT – A New Haven man has been sentenced to 23 years in prison for his role in a massive narcotics trafficking operation that spanned several years.

Willie Franco, 37, was sentenced to 280 months of imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release for his crimes, which included conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

The investigation into Franco’s activities began in 2021, when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration began probing resumed narcotics trafficking activity by Franco and his then-girlfriend, Daniella Fox.

According to court documents, the investigation revealed that parcels originating in Arizona and California that likely contained narcotics had been mailed to addresses associated with Franco and Fox. Investigators also determined that two overdose deaths in August 2021 in Branford and Guilford, and one overdose death in September 2021 in Milford, were connected to Franco’s drug activities.

In early March 2022, investigators intercepted a U.S. Postal Service parcel destined for an address in East Haven associated with Franco and Fox. A court-authorized search of the parcel revealed approximately one kilogram of cocaine and one kilogram of fentanyl.

Subsequent analysis of cellphones seized from Franco revealed hundreds of videos depicting Franco’s drug trafficking activity and possession of firearms. In certain cellphone recordings intended for his drug suppliers, Franco complains that the fentanyl is not strong enough and says he needs fentanyl strong enough to kill people.

Franco has been detained since his arrest, and on February 26, 2025, a jury found him guilty of the aforementioned crimes. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Konstantin Lantsman and Hal Chen.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the New Haven Police Department, East Haven Police Department and Connecticut State Police.

Franco’s sentencing is a significant blow to the narcotics trafficking operation that he was a part of, and serves as a reminder of the dangers of narcotics trafficking and the importance of law enforcement’s efforts to combat it.

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