2 New Haven Men Shipped Kilos Of Cocaine Through US Mail: Feds

New Haven CT

12 August, 2021

7:50 AM

Description

NEW HAVEN, CT —Last November, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service's Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force discovered and searched, via a federal warrant, a "suspicious package" containing $102,450 in cash that had been sent through the mail from New Haven to an address in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Then, investigators intercepted two packages each containing a kilogram of cocaine, federal prosecutors said. Tuesday, Jose L. Gerena, 31, and Brian Cruz-Rodriquez, 29, both of New Haven, were arrested and charged by federal criminal complaint with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. According to court documents, the U.S. Attorney for Connecticut said, the investigation revealed that Gerena, with the assistance of Cruz-Rodriguez and others, was supervising the receipt of numerous parcels containing kilogram quantities of cocaine that had been shipped from Puerto Rico, the resale of the cocaine to others, and the shipment of narcotics proceeds to individuals in Puerto Rico. During the investigation, the organization regularly received cocaine shipments at 365 Poplar Street, 206 Exchange Street and other addresses in New Haven. In the months before their arrests, federal investigators intercepted two parcels each containing a kilogram of cocaine that had been sent through the U.S. mail from Puerto Rico to 365 Poplar St. and 206 Exchange St., in New Haven. Federal prosecutors said investigators then made a controlled delivery of a package with a kilo of cocaine to 365 Poplar St. before executing search warrants and making the arrests. Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, feds said. Gerena is being held and Cruz-Rodriguez was released on a $150,000 bond. In addition to the postal service task force, which included the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General, the Connecticut Army National Guard, and the Hartford, New Britain, Meriden and Town of Groton Police departments, the case against Gerena and Cruz-Rodriquez was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with the assistance of the New Haven Police Department.