PROVIDENCE – Thirteen individuals have been charged, eleven
of which are in custody, and eight federal court-authorized search warrants
were executed today in a series of FBI Safe Streets Task Force led pre-dawn law
enforcement actions, culminating a six-month Project Safe Neighborhoods
Investigation into the trafficking of significant quantities of fentanyl and
other drugs in Providence.
Today, law enforcement agents and officers seized more than
500 grams of fentanyl and two firearms during the pre-dawn raids. Prior to
today, the Safe Street Task Force investigation resulted in the seizure of more
than 600 grams of fentanyl, 610 fentanyl pills, 67 grams of crack cocaine, 102
grams of cocaine, and a firearm.
According to court
documents, all but one of the individuals charged today have had previous law
enforcement contact, many convicted on multiple occasions in Rhode Island state
court on drug trafficking and other violent crime charges. Several of the
defendants are currently serving suspended or probationary sentences.
“The combination of deadly drugs and illegal firearms has
destroyed too many lives, ruined too many families, and rendered once safe
neighborhoods dangerous places to live and raise families,” commented United
States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman. “This significant operation demonstrates that
our federal law enforcement agencies, and their critical state and local
partners, will act aggressively to protect our neighborhoods from being
inundated with deadly illegal drugs like cocaine and heroin, and especially
fentanyl, which has already claimed the lives of well over a thousand Rhode
Islanders.”
“Dealing deadly drugs was a family affair, and for their
suppliers a very dangerous one, as illustrated by the firearms we seized
throughout the course of investigation. And if that’s not troubling enough, we
allege at least two of these drug dealers were playing Russian roulette with
people’s lives, pushing pills that were disguised as prescription painkillers,
when they were really fentanyl,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in
Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force is
laser-focused on stopping individuals like those we arrested today from
peddling their poisons and polluting our neighborhoods with illegal firearms.”
“Opioid abuse is at epidemic levels in New England,” said
DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle.
“Illegal drug distribution ravages the very foundations of our families
and communities here in Rhode Island.
Let these arrests serve as an example to those who distribute poisons
like fentanyl, crack-cocaine and cocaine, that DEA will aggressively pursue and
hold you accountable. This investigation
demonstrates the strength and continued commitment of our local, state and
federal law enforcement partners.”
According to court documents and information presented to
the Court, this investigation, dubbed Operation Bloodline,” began in June of
2019, when the members of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force developed information
regarding the alleged drug trafficking activities of Hector Rivera, 40, of
Central Falls. On June 19, 2019, Rivera allegedly delivered 50 grams of
fentanyl while being surveilled by members of the Safe Street Task Force. At
that same meeting, it is alleged that the individual purchasing the fentanyl
from Rivera was introduced to Rafael Ferrer, 39, of Providence. It is alleged
that within the next several weeks two additional deliveries of fentanyl were
delivered jointly by Ferrer and Rivera. Each delivery of fentanyl was
immediately seized by law enforcement.
Over the next several months, as the investigation
continued, it was determined by law enforcement that a long list of individuals
were allegedly associated with Ferrer, including members of his family. Law
enforcement determined that drugs were allegedly being stored and prepared for
delivery by members of the conspiracy in at least two Providence residences.
Transactions surveilled by law enforcement took place at
homes, in the streets, and in parking lots of businesses in Providence. Little
effort was made to conceal the transactions.
Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the
Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an
evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.
Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the
most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive
solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement
efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based
prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is
presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stacey
P. Veroni and Gerard B Sullivan.
United States Attorney Aaron L. Weisman acknowledges and
thanks the many law enforcement agencies that provided manpower and resources
to this investigation, including the many law enforcement member agencies of
the FBI’s Safe Street Violent Gang Task Force and the DEA’s Rhode Island Drug
Task Force.
The FBI’s Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force consists of
agents and law enforcement officers from the FBI, the Rhode Island State
Police, the Providence, Cranston, Woonsocket, Pawtucket, and Central Falls
Police Departments, R.I. Department of Corrections, and the Rhode Island
National Guard.
The Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force is comprised of law
enforcement personnel from DEA, Rhode Island State Police, and the East
Providence, Central Falls, Coventry, Cranston, Newport, North Kingstown,
Pawtucket, Providence, South Kingstown, Warwick, West Warwick and Woonsocket
Police Departments.
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