Twenty-five people were charged in connection with a drug ring that allegedly generated $20,000 a day distributing fentanyl, crack, and cocaine, which they hid in the engines of their cars, and whose activity extended throughout eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said in a press release that 25 people were charged in connection with the drug trafficking conspiracy and more than 2.3 kilograms of fentanyl, 12 kilograms of suspected fentanyl and cocaine, 300 grams of cocaine, six firearms and approximately $400,000 were seized during the investigation.
WATCH ANYTIME FOR FREE
>Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are. |
Prosecutors said the following people have been charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and have been arrested:
- Yulial Cueo-Reynoso a/k/a “Sonny,” 33, of Leominster;
- Yordania Abel Rivera a/k/a “Mommy,” 33, of Leominster;
- Jorge Vizcaino Vizcaino a/k/a Yeison Vizcaino Vizcaino a/k/a “Jason” a/k/a “Libreta” a/k/a Yeikel Perez-Tejeda, 24, of Boston;
- Rafael Concepcion a/k/a “Menor,” 34, of Boston;
- Alinson Joel Ortiz Arias, 32, of Boston;
- Axel Brea Baez, 25, of Boston;
- Denly Soto-Tejeda, 25, of Manchester, N.H.;
- Yeiron Vizcaino Vizcaino a/k/a “Boli,” 28, of Boston;
- Alberto Gonzalez, 36, of Boston;
- Luis Guerrero, 25, of Lawrence;
- Mariela Cuello Reynoso, 30, of Boston;
- Elisbania Tejeda-Soto a/k/a “Lisbania,” 25, of Boston;
- Rubert Adrian Jimenez a/k/a “Soga,” 24, of Boston;
- Adrian Suncar-Gonzalez, 38, of Boston;
- Johangel Mejia-Hernandez, 22, of Boston;
- Francisco Tavarez Contreras, 43, of Boston;
- Santo Franco-Sanchez, 42, of Brookline;
- Carlos Abel Rivera, 34, of North Smithfield, R.I.; and
- Anthony Cuoco, 43, of Barnstable.
Get updates on what's happening in Boston to your inbox. Sign up for our >News Headlines newsletter.
Six defendants remain at large, according to prosecutors.
“We allege that these defendants exploited addiction for personal profit and with full knowledge of that the drugs they were peddling could be lethal. They allegedly raked in $20,000 a day at the expense of the lives and safety of people suffering from drug addiction,” United States Attorney Joshua Levy said.
According to charging documents, authorities launched their investigation in March 2022, and over the course of the probe, intercepted communications established that the defendants allegedly distributed fentanyl and cocaine throughout eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Local
In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area.
Prosecutors said the organization, which allegedly distributed approximately $20,000 worth of drugs a day, was led by Cuello-Reynoso. The ring allegedly used a color-coding system to differentiate between drugs and frequently concealed them in socks inside the engine compartments of cars driven by the dealers.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.