Seventeen people have been charged with 117 crimes in connection with an alleged drug trafficking operation that distributed cocaine, fentanyl and heroin across Western New York and Puerto Rico, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Thursday.
The investigation, led by the Attorney General's Office Organized Crime Task Force, resulted in the seizure of more than 10 kilograms of cocaine, valued at about $500,000, and approximately 250 grams of fentanyl and heroin, valued at about $12,500, according to the attorney general's office.
The alleged operation involved Erie, Monroe, Niagara and Onondaga counties.
How the alleged drug trafficking operation worked
The investigation began in September 2024 and initially focused on alleged narcotics trafficking on Buffalo's lower West Side.
According
to investigators, cocaine was allegedly shipped from Puerto Rico to addresses across western New York in custom boxes containing 2-kilogram bricks. The drugs were then allegedly processed, repackaged and distributed to resellers and users.
Investigators said defendants used audio and text messages to arrange drug transactions at locations including a Cheektowaga barbershop and restaurants in Buffalo. They also allegedly used code words to refer to drugs, including "soft" for powder cocaine and "F" for fentanyl.
More than 10 kilograms of cocaine seized
Investigators seized approximately eight kilograms of cocaine from packages and traffic stops, according to the attorney general's office.
Three packages containing a total of six kilograms of cocaine were seized by U.S. Postal Inspectors in Onondaga County. Another two kilograms were seized during a traffic stop in Erie County.
An additional two kilograms of cocaine were seized during a second traffic stop in Erie County. Investigators also seized approximately 250 grams of fentanyl and heroin.
Who was charged?
The 117-count indictment, unsealed Thursday in Erie County Court, charges the 17 defendants with various felony offenses, including criminal sale and criminal possession of controlled substances and second-degree conspiracy.
The defendants include:
- Erik Arias, 33, of Buffalo
- Richard Calderon Cruz, 41, of Cheektowaga
- Jesus Oliveras Feliciano, 37, of Buffalo
- Luis Galarza Jr., 40, of Buffalo
- Shirley Lopez, 49, of Buffalo
- Edwin Maldonado, 59, of Lackawanna
- A. Cesari McDougall, 54, of Buffalo
- Arami Morales, 30, of Rochester
- Wilfredo Morales, 64, of Buffalo
- Angel Oquendo, 48, of Puerto Rico
- Hector Oquendo, 56, of Buffalo
- Edward Parmer, 48, of Niagara Falls
- Luis Pumarejo, 44, of Buffalo
- Victor Quinones, 50, of Buffalo
- Raymond Pizarro Rivera, 28, whose last known address was in Buffalo
- Oscar Romero, 46, of Buffalo
- Justino Santos, 40, of Buffalo
The attorney general's office identified Romero, Quinones, Hector Oquendo and Pizarro Rivera as alleged suppliers. Other defendants were accused of serving as resellers.
Quinones and Galarza are charged with operating as major traffickers, a crime that carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, according to the attorney general's office.
Investigation involved multiple agencies
The investigation included covert surveillance and hundreds of hours of wiretaps involving more than two dozen phones, according to investigators.
The Attorney General's Office worked with the New York State Police, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service and other federal, state and local agencies.
"This takedown should remind all New Yorkers that we will stop at nothing to protect our communities from life-threatening drugs," James said.
The case is part of the Attorney General's SURGE Initiative, which targets drug trafficking in suburban and upstate communities.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: 17 charged in upstate NY drug trafficking ring; cocaine, fentanyl seized
