By Tiffany Williams –
The FBI’s Waterbury, Connecticut Safe Streets Gang Task Force investigation into drug trafficking in the city of Waterbury by drug organizations headed by Angel Quiros and Daniel Diaz-Rivera led to 14 individuals arrested on Tuesday for offenses stemming from the distribution of cocaine, crack cocaine, and fentanyl.
The following individuals were arrested Tuesday:
Angel Quiros, aka “Papa John,” 34, Waterbury
Daniel Diaz-Rivera, a.k.a. “Danny,” “Lupin,” “Lupito,” and “L,” 31, Waterbury
Luis Munoz, aka “P.R.” and “Puerto Rico,” 39, Waterbury
Luis Cruz, aka “Fat Boy” and “Goldo,” 26, Waterbury
Ricardo Verdejo, aka “Ricky,” 25, Waterbury
Joseph Rincon, aka “Mexico,” 42, Prospect
Jesus Maldonado, aka “Zeus,” 34, Waterbury
Carmelo Cancel, aka “Bebe,” 30, Waterbury
Willie Redd, 42, Naugatuck
Tommy Figueroa, aka “Coco,” 30, Waterbury
Jose Delrosario-Canela, aka “Domi,” 38, Waterbury
Michelle Morales-Rios, 31, New Britain
Ambar Morales-Rios, aka “Gorda,” 34, Waterbury
Neysa Vazquez-Ferrer, 33, Waterbury
Oscar Pena-Crespo, aka “Boti,” 28, Waterbury
The FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task Force investigation included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, video surveillance, GPS tracking of vehicles, and numerous controlled purchases of narcotics which revealed the Quiros and Diaz-Rivera organizations distributed cocaine, crack, and fentanyl through a network of sellers.
The FBI says Munoz, Cruz, Verdejo, Maldonado, Rincon, and Redd distributed drugs within the Quiros organization, which was based out of the William Street area of Waterbury.
Figueroa, Pena-Crespo, Delrosario-Canela, and Morales-Rios the FBI says distributed drugs within the Diaz-Rivera organization, which was based out of the Maple Avenue area of Waterbury.
Morales-Rios, Vazquez-Ferrer, and Morales-Rivera, the FBI says packaged and stored narcotics while Carmelo Cancel supplied both organizations with narcotics, and investigators identified additional overlap between the two organizations.
The United States Attorney’s Office for Connecticut said Fourteen of the defendants were arrested Tuesday on criminal complaints, and Figueroa is currently detained in state custody.
An additional five individuals were arrested on state charges.
In addition to the arrests, investigators executed multiple search warrants and seized approximately 700 grams of crack cocaine, more than 900 vials (“caps”) of crack, approximately 200 grams of loose fentanyl, more than 1,600 dose bags of fentanyl/heroin, two stolen firearms, numerous rounds of ammunition, and more than $39,000 in cash.
The FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task Force includes members from the FBI, the Waterbury Police Department, the Naugatuck Police Department, and the Connecticut Department of Correction.
The DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Connecticut State Police, Wolcott Police Department, and Meriden Police Department also assisted with the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth and Patrick Doherty through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program which identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.