New Haven Men Charged with Trafficking Cocaine

Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Joshua W. McCallister, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, today announced that JOSE L. GERENA, 31, and BRIAN I. CRUZ-RODRIGUEZ, 29, both of New Haven, were arrested yesterday and charged by federal criminal complaint with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.

As alleged in court documents, in November 2020, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force executed a federal search warrant on a suspicious package that had been sent through the U.S. Mail from New Haven to an address in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.  The package contained $102,450 in cash.  The investigation revealed that Gerena, with the assistance of Cruz-Rodriguez and others, was supervising the receipt of numerous parcels containing kilogram quantities of cocaine that had been shipped from Puerto Rico, the resale of the cocaine to others, and the shipment of narcotics proceeds to individuals in Puerto Rico.  During the investigation, the organization regularly received cocaine shipments at 365 Poplar Street, 206 Exchange Street and other addresses in New Haven.

Prior to yesterday’s arrests of Gerena and Cruz-Rodriguez, investigators intercepted two parcels each containing a kilogram of cocaine that had been sent through the U.S. Mail from Puerto Rico to 365 Poplar Street and 206 Exchange Street.  Investigators then made a controlled delivery of a parcel containing a kilogram of cocaine to 365 Poplar Street before executing search warrants and making the arrests.

Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

Gerena is currently detained and Cruz-Rodriguez is released on a $150,000 bond.

Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the New Haven Police Department.  The Task Force includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, the Connecticut Army National Guard, and the Hartford, New Britain, Meriden and Town of Groton Police Departments.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Konstantin Lantsman through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.  OCDETF 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.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.