Fentanyl seized in New Bedford drug bust

New Bedford and State Police on Tuesday arrested an alleged repeat drug offender on fentanyl trafficking charges, and troopers seized a bag of the suspected opioid near a mattress where the man’s two young children were sleeping, authorities said.

Troopers identified the suspect as Oscar Ramos-Torres, 30, and said he was arrested during a raid of his McGuirk Street apartment in New Bedford.

“After they knocked and announced that they had a search warrant, members of the raid team received no reply and heard scurrying inside the apartment,” State Police said in a statement. “Thus upon making a forced entry, the team found Ramos-Torres standing in a bedroom, with his girlfriend and their two young children lying on a mattress on the floor. A bag containing approximately 8.7 grams of suspected fentanyl was located within two feet of the mattress. A field test of the substance in the bag was positive for fentanyl, the synthetic opioid that is many times more powerful than heroin and can cause harm just by coming in contact with a person’s skin.”

Troopers found Ramos-Torres’s work bench in another room, where he allegedly prepared fentanyl for sale.

“On the workbench was a plastic container holding approximately 77 grams of a white powder; the results of a field test on the powder were positive for the presence of fentanyl,” the release said. “Next to the container of suspected fentanyl were a digital scale, a box of plastic sandwich bags, and cut-off corners of the bags consistent with the manner in which are packaged for street-level sale.”

In a safe under the bench, the statement said, “Troopers and Officers located several thousand dollars in US currency and 26 suboxone strips. In the basement of the residence, which was used by Ramos-Torres for storage, a Trooper found a clear plastic bag containing 10 rounds of ammunition.”

All told, “suspected fentanyl, suboxone strips, and ammunition were seized as evidence, as was $6,245 in US currency suspected of being proceeds from the illegal sale of narcotics,” the statement said.

He now faces charges of trafficking in fentanyl over 80 grams; possession of a Class B substance with intent to distribute; and unlawful possession of ammunition, according to State Police.

Ramos-Torres was slated for arraignment Wednesday in New Bedford District Court. It wasn’t known whether he had hired a lawyer. But he’s had prior legal troubles.

“In addition to the new charges, Ramos-Torres is currently on probation out of New Bedford District Court, the result of a previous arrest for possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute,” the statement said.

Travis Andersen can be reached at travis.andersen@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @TAGlobe.