BOSTON — A collaborative effort by Massachusetts State Police (MSP) and partner agencies has led to the dismantling of a multi-state drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing large quantities of fentanyl and cocaine across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire.
The investigation, initiated last fall by MSP’s investigative units, expanded to include Rhode Island State Police, Nashua Police, and several local Massachusetts police departments.
The coordinated operation culminated in late March with the arrests of three individuals and a warrant issued for a fourth suspect currently abroad.
Authorities seized over 7,000 grams of heroin, 916 grams of cocaine, 43 grams of methamphetamine, four firearms, high-capacity magazines, ammunition, and two vehicles during the investigation.
The primary target, Wilmer Tejeda-Cruz, 31, from Pawtucket, is alleged to have overseen the drug trafficking organization.
His charges, alongside the other suspects’, are being prosecuted by the office of Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell.
The multi-agency investigation involved court-authorized intercepts, surveillance, and ten controlled fentanyl purchases by an undercover MSP trooper.
These buys, ranging from 11 grams to 2,000 grams, were conducted by Tejeda-Cruz or his associates, Jose Bello, 39, from Dedham, and Jose Martinez, 31, from Boston.
Evidence also pointed to Richard Johnson, 50, from Nashua, as a significant customer of the organization, sourcing fentanyl for resale.
On March 21, after a two-kilogram fentanyl purchase in Foxboro, authorities arrested Tejeda-Cruz and simultaneously executed seven search warrants across the involved states.
The searches led to the arrests of Johnson and Bello, with Martinez remaining at large.
Investigators discovered substantial drug quantities, firearms, drug packaging equipment, and suspected drug proceeds at the searched properties, including Tejeda-Cruz’s residence and a stash house in Taunton.
Additional seizures occurred at Bello’s and Martinez’s apartments and Johnson’s home, where nearly 100 more grams of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, firearms, and cash were found.
Tejeda-Cruz faces charges including trafficking fentanyl over 200 grams and will later face additional charges, including conspiracy and unlawful possession of ammunition.
Bello has been arraigned on similar trafficking charges.
The mandatory minimum sentence for the fentanyl trafficking charge is 12 years, with a maximum of 30 years in state prison.
Johnson faces trafficking and unlawful possession charges in New Hampshire.
This operation showcases the effectiveness of collaboration between MSP units, Homeland Security Investigations, Rhode Island State Police, Nashua Police, and various other law enforcement bodies.
