21 arrested, 5 kilograms of raw fentanyl seized in massive New Bedford drug bust – Boston News, Weather, Sports

NEW BEDFORD, MASS. (WHDH) – A year-long undercover investigation into a drug trafficking ring operating in the area of New Bedford led to the arrests 21 people and the seizure of more than five kilograms of raw fentanyl, authorities said.

“Operation Ghost” began in June of 2018 when Dartmouth Police Det. Derek Sousa developed credible information that 40-year-old Orlando Badillo, of New Bedford, was leading a large-scale fentanyl trafficking ring in the South Coast region, according to Bristol District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn, whose office led the investigation.

Badillo, who has a lengthy history of arrests and convictions, was found to be orchestrating the distribution of fentanyl, the content of the drug’s potency, the managing of sales, the collection of debts and the acquirement of new customers, Quinn added.

The organization allegedly distributed large amounts of fentanyl to lower-level drug dealers, who then sold to street-level users.

Between March 5 and April 30, investigators began using a wiretap to collect information about the drug trafficking, allowing them to identify 48-year-old Robert Peguero, of New Bedford, as the person who was supplying large quantities of raw fentanyl to the organization, according to Quinn.

Law enforcement officials conducted numerous search and arrest warrants on April 30, resulting in the dismantling of the organization’s leadership and the reported seizure of five kilograms of raw fentanyl, more than $112,000 in cash, a large quantity of marijuana, 35 grams of methamphetamine, 13 grams of crack cocaine, body armor and a large capacity firearm.

Twelve people were arrested, including:

• Maria Carrion, 42, of New Bedford, charged with conspiracy to traffick fentanyl and trafficking fentanyl
• Orlando Badillo, 40, of New Bedford, charged with conspiracy to traffick fentanyl and trafficking fentanyl
• Pedro Cruz, 38, of New Bedford, charged with trafficking Fentanyl, conspiracy to traffick fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute marijuana
• Samuel Gonzalez Lopez, 51, of New Bedford, charged with conspiracy to traffick fentanyl
• Kelly Rodrigues, 29, of New Bedford, charged with conspiracy to traffick fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute a class A substance-subsequent offense
• Elizabeth Andrews, 31, of Fairhaven, charged with conspiracy to traffick fentanyl
• Robert Peguero, 48, of New Bedford, charged with conspiracy to traffick fentanyl and trafficking fentanyl
• Heather Cabral, 38, of New Bedford, charged with conspiracy to traffick fentanyl
• Lisa Telfair, 57, of New Bedford, charged with conspiracy to traffick fentanyl and trafficking fentanyl
• Xiomara Rivera, 51, of New Bedford, charged with conspiracy to traffick fentanyl
• Alberto Suazo, of Easton, charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of a class B drug
• David Luna, 37, of New Bedford, charged with conspiracy to traffick fentanyl and trafficking fentanyl

Over the past weekend, investigators began phase two of the investigation, leading to the arrest of several suspected lower-level drug dealers who allegedly purchased large amounts of fentanyl from the drug trafficking organization.

• Williamm Furey, 39, of New Bedford, conspiracy to traffick fentanyl
• Diogo Alves, 29, of New Bedfird, conspiracy to traffick fentanyl
• Brandon Barboza, 23, of New Bedford, conspiracy to traffick fentanyl
• Katherine Barboza, 32, of New Bedford, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
• John Blackledge, 40, of New Bedford, conspiracy to traffick fentanyl
• Joseph Medeiros, 33, of New Bedford, conspiracy to traffick fentanyl
• Ashley Rebello, 26, of Dartmouth, conspiracy to traffick fentanyl
• Adrian DeJesus, 33, of New Bedford, conspiracy to traffick fentanyl
• Wayne Farias, 35, of New Bedford, conspiracy to traffick fentanyl

“Operation Ghost” was coordinated by Assistant District Attorney Steve Butts, the Chief of District Attorney’s Quinn’s Drug Prosecution Unit, and involved cooperation among numerous law enforcement agencies. Those agencies include the Bristol County DA’s State Police Detective Unit, Dartmouth police, New Bedford police, the Attorney General’s State Police Detective Unit, the Bristol County Sheriff’s Department, the Department of Homeland Security’s Boston Office, the Massachusetts National Guard and various other units of the Massachusetts State Police.

Funding for this operation came from a $3 million federal grant that was awarded to the AG’s Fentanyl Strike Force to expand its efforts to combat the opioid epidemic and disrupt drug and fentanyl trafficking throughout Massachusetts.

“This investigation highlights the needs for agencies to cooperate, especially in these large scale investigations. This is something that I have tried to do during my tenure as district attorney,” Quinn said. “The seizure of between five and six kilos of fentanyl may be the largest amount of fentanyl ever seized in Bristol County. It is critical to get this lethal drug off the streets.”

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