The U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron last week announced the unsealing of a federal complaint charging six men, including two from Silver Spring, for a drug trafficking conspiracy that allegedly distributed cocaine and other drugs in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, as well as the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
The criminal complaint was filed on January 13, and arrests were made on January 20, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s office. The six charged in the criminal complaint are:
- Fabricio Alexis Rivera, a/k/a “Breeze,” age 30, of Rockville;
- William Reyes Garcia, a/k/a “Will,” age 31, of Silver Spring;
- Adrian Josue Velasquez, a/k/a “AJ,” age 31, of Lanham;
- Rodney Ricky Rivera, a/k/a “Rodney,” age 27, of Beltsville;
- Noel Reyes, Jr., a/k/a “June,” age 28, of Bowie; and
- Joey Garcia King, a/k/a “Joe,” age 43, of Silver Spring.
“Last week’s arrests are a significant effort in the disruption and dismantling of a significant and dangerous Drug Trafficking Organization that operates extensively in the Capital Region, especially Montgomery County,” Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus G. Jones said in a press release. “The warrants served are not a culmination; rather they are a major step in a continuing investigation. The connection between illicit drug sales and violence is well known, and the 12 firearms that were seized are tangible evidence of that. I am proud of the joint investigation between our departments Special Investigations Division and our partners with Homeland Security Investigations, and I look forward to continued cooperation between our agencies. I want to thank United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration – Washington Division; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department for their continued effort and support.”
“The drug trafficking organization (DTO) allegedly run by F. Rivera, Reyes Garcia, and Velasquez is a tiered organization with multiple members who participate in drug trafficking,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. “Drug customers would contact the DTO leadership, normally via phone or text message. The DTO leadership was engaged in the high-level distribution of cocaine to lower-level dealers. Customers who contacted the phones used by the leaders typically purchased controlled substances—usually cocaine—in amounts consistent with individuals who are re-distributing the drugs. The affidavit alleges that the defendants participated in the drug conspiracy between at least September 2020 and December 2021.
“As detailed in the affidavit, during the investigation several packages containing approximately 15.65 kilograms of cocaine were seized by law enforcement. The packages were shipped from Brownsville, Texas to an address associated with the DTO, Business 1 in Beltsville, Maryland. The same sender was found to have sent additional packages, which investigators believe also contained narcotics, to Business 1 and to Velasquez’s residence. Tracking information obtained from the shipping company revealed that IP addresses associated with Reyes Garcia and Velasquez queried the tracking numbers on the seized packages containing cocaine as well as the additional packages. In October 2021, law enforcement seized an approximately two-kilogram package of cocaine that was sent to Reyes, Jr. Intercepted communications following the seizure allegedly showed that this package of cocaine was intended for distribution by the DTO.
“The affidavit includes conversations between the conspirators allegedly discussing DTO business, collecting drug debts, arranging drug transactions, and arranging travel to Texas to obtain narcotics for transportation to Maryland.”
The defendants face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances if convicted.
Graphic Courtesy United States Department of Justice