Feds Announce Indictment Of Major Cocaine, Fentanyl Operatio...

NEW HAVEN - Five Naugatuck Valley residents were among a group of 15 people indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly trafficking cocaine and fentanyl in Connecticut.

The Valley residents include:

• Madison Cruz, 23, of Shelton
• Kelvin Olivo, 34, of Naugatuck
• Jaszae Vazquez, 26 of Derby
• Nicholas Vega, 25, of Ansonia
• Omar Viera, 32, of Waterbury

In a press release issued Sept. 24, federal prosecutors allege a drug ring headed by Damien Hazel, 26, of Bridgeport, distributed crack cocaine, cocaine and fentanyl throughout southern Connecticut.

Authorities allege Hazel and others traveled to the Bronx and Puerto Rico to get large amounts of fentanyl and cocaine to sell locally. Cocaine from Puerto Rico was allegedly sent through the mail back to various addresses in Connecticut.

FBI agents and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service seized at least 16 kilograms of cocaine connected to Hazel's criminal enterprise, according to a prepared statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Connecticut.

"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 David X. Sullivan in a prepared statement.

Cruz, Olivo, Vazquez, Vega, and Viera are described in a probable cause affidavit as ​"trusted members" of Hazel's illicit business who helped to ​"facilitate the distribution of narcotics."

Vazquez lived on Hawthorne Avenue in Derby at the time of his initial arrest, according to court papers. Hazel allegedly mailed two packages of cocaine to Vazquez, one of which weighed more than five pounds.

Vega lived on Crescent Street in Ansonia and allegedly accepted deliveries of cocaine sent from Hazel in Puerto Rico, according to the affidavit. He's described as a ​"close associate" of Hazel and a ​"drug redistributor."

Cruz is from Nicholas Avenue in Shelton. She allegedly traveled with Hazel to help with the packaging and transport of some three kilograms of cocaine, according to the court filing. The document further alleges a kilogram of cocaine was sent to an address connected to her on Elm Street in Ansonia, and that she delivered it to Hazel.

The case against the 15 people was built using video surveillance, physical surveillance, informants, and court-issued warrants giving authorities permission to search houses, cell phones, email accounts, and toll records.

It states that over the course of the investigation, 1,000 grams of cocaine mailed to Howe Avenue, Shelton was seized on Jan. 31. Almost 2,000 grams of cocaine mailed to an address on Jewett Street in Ansonia was seized Jan. 30. Another 2,000 grams was seized from an address on Hawthorne Avenue in Derby on Jan. 14.

Those are just a handful of the incidents. The 454-page affidavit describes a series of drug deliveries allegedly observed by the FBI task force and postal inspectors spread out over months.

Each of the suspects is charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, along with an array of similar individual charges.