Fifteen Charged with Trafficking Fentanyl and Cocaine into and around Connecticut

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O'Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment yesterday charging the following 15 individuals with conspiring to traffic fentanyl and cocaine into and around southern Connecticut:

DAMIEN HAZEL, 26, of Bridgeport
YANISHKA ARROYO-RIVERA, a.k.a. "Nani," 22, of Bridgeport
NICHOLAS VEGA, a.k.a. "Nick," 25, of Ansonia
OMAR VIERA, a.k.a. "O," 32, of Waterbury
JONATHAN MEJIA, a.k.a. "Big Head," 27, of Kentucky, formerly of Hamden
NESTOR ROSADO, a.k.a. "Joey," 27, of Bridgeport
VICTOR FRANCISCO BONILLA, a.k.a. "Mostro," 34, of Bridgeport
KELVIN OLIVO, 34, of Naugatuck
BRENJINELLIE GONZALEZ, a.k.a. "Brenji," 24, of New Haven
ROBERTO DEJESUS, a.k.a. "Pedro Ramirez" and "Tito," 50, of Bridgeport
DANIEL RUIZ, a.k.a. "Jumbo," 38, of Bridgeport
JAFFAR ALI, 32, a citizen of the Dominican Republic residing in Trumbull
DAVON WARNER, a.k.a. "DaeDae," 25, of New Haven
MADISON CRUZ, a.k.a. "Maddie," 23, of Shelton
JASZAE VAZQUEZ, 26, of Derby

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, an FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force investigation determined that Hazel headed a narcotics trafficking organization that distributed fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine in southern Connecticut. Hazel and others traveled to the Bronx, New York, to acquire kilogram quantities of fentanyl and deliver narcotics proceeds, and to Puerto Rico to acquire cocaine and ship it through the U.S. Mail to various addresses in Connecticut. During the investigation, the FBI Task Force and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service seized several packages containing a total of at least 16 kilograms of cocaine, and identified several more that likely contained narcotics.

Hazel and 13 of his alleged co-conspirators were arrested on criminal complaints on September 10, 2025, and DeJesus was arrested on September 12, 2025. In association with the arrests, investigators seized two firearms and assorted ammunition from a residence shared by Hazel and Arroyo-Rivera, ammunition and suspected narcotics from DeJesus, and suspected narcotics from Vega, Ali, and Warner.

"As alleged, this organization trafficked a significant amount of fentanyl and cocaine into our state, and I thank the members of FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force, with the assistance of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, who shut down this drug importation and distribution network," said U.S. Attorney Sullivan. "The scourge of illegal narcotics continues to ruin lives in Connecticut, and the U.S. Attorney's Office is committed to targeting and prosecuting those who are profiting from it."

"This indictment demonstrates FBI New Haven's top priority of crushing violent crime," said FBI Special Agent in Charge P.J. O'Brien. "Along with our federal and local partners, we are committed to removing dangerous drugs, like fentanyl and cocaine, from the streets of Connecticut. The FBI will continue to bring the full breadth of our resources to the table to support our partners and keep our neighborhoods safe."

The indictment charges each defendant with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. If convicted of the charge, based on the type and quantity of drug attributed to each defendant, Hazel, Arroyo-Rivera, Vega, Viera, Mejia, Rosado, Bonilla, Olivo, and Gonzalez, face a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life, and DeJesus, Ruiz, Ali, Warner, Cruz, and Vazquez face a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years.

Hazel, DeJesus, Vega, Mejia, Bonilla, Ruiz, and Ali are currently detained, and the remaining eight defendants are released pending trial.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This investigation is being conducted by the FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Norwalk, Trumbull, Hartford, Fairfield, Shelton, Ansonia, Derby, Greenwich, Stamford, New Haven, Waterbury, and Louisville (Ky.) Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and Kenneth L. Gresham.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).