SPRINGFIELD — Two men were arrested Wednesday, Oct. 23, by the Springfield Police Department and the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, as part of an ongoing effort to combat open-air drug dealing near the railroad tracks between Taylor Street and Warwick Street.
The Springfield Police Firearms Investigation Unit (FIU) and local authorities have responded to concerns from businesses and treatment centers about the increase in drug activity in the area.
After conducting surveillance operations in the wooded areas where the transactions were taking place, FIU detectives arrested Carlos Perez-Morales, 46, and Jonathan Rivera, 43, for their alleged roles in the drug operation.
During the arrest, detectives confiscated approximately 200 bags of heroin, along with several bags and capsules of cocaine.
The arrests are part of a larger investigation that has already resulted in nine other arrests earlier in the month related to drug operations in the same vicinity.
Perez-Morales, a Springfield resident, is facing charges including conspiracy to violate drug law, possession with the intent to distribute a Class A drug, possession with the intent to distribute a Class B drug, and an arrest warrant.
Rivera, from Holyoke, has been charged similarly with conspiracy to violate drug law, possession with the intent to distribute a Class A drug, possession with the intent to distribute a Class B drug, in addition to a default warrant.
The Springfield Police Department continues to address the drug dealing issue in the Taylor Street area as part of their commitment to community safety.
The investigation remains active and ongoing.
