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Durham announced that the six, five of whom are from Connecticut, were arrested on federal narcotics distribution and money laundering charges for their role in the drug distribution ring, which operated throughout the state of Connecticut.
Those charged:
- Domingo Guzman, 43, of Waterbury;
- Armando Gonzalez, 38, of New Britain;
- David Cintron, 24, of Manchester;
- Daniel Estremera, 40, of East Hartford;
- Gildardo Perez-Benitez, also known as “Jesus Ayon,” 51, of North Canaan in Litchfield County;
- Xiang Qing Zhang, also known as “Jay,” 41, of Brooklyn, New York
Durham said the DEA began investigating a drug trafficking organization that was distributing fentanyl and heroin in Connecticut in July last year.
That investigation determined that Guzman and Ayon received kilogram-quantities of fentanyl and other drugs over the course of several months, which were then distributed to lower-level members of the ring.
It is alleged that those drugs were then given to drug traffickers, including Gonzalez, Cintron, and Estremera, who in turn sold to street-level dealers.
Cash from the scheme was then delivered to Zhang, a money broker in Brooklyn, who laundered the drug money, with clean money going back to the leaders of the drug trafficking ring.
According to Durham, the traffickers used several locations to store, process, and package fentanyl for street stale, including office space on Pratt Street in Hartford, an apartment in the Asylum Hill neighborhood in Hartford, and an apartment in New Britain.
While arresting the six men, investigators seized thousands of sleeves of fentanyl, unpackaged fentanyl, heroin, drug paraphernalia, a weapon, and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cash.
“We are living in a time of heightened awareness of public health and safety,” Durham said. “This operation targeted a group of individuals who are alleged to be responsible for the widespread distribution of a drug that ruins lives, continues to kill people every day, and puts unneeded stress on law enforcement and healthcare resources.
DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Boyle added, “Fentanyl is causing damage to our communities. The men and women of DEA along with our law enforcement partners are hard at work protecting the public by taking this poison off the streets of Connecticut, especially during this very uncertain time of COVID-19.”
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