SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Eight men from Springfield and Holyoke were arrested in connection with a drug trafficking ring.
An investigation by the Massachusetts State Police Task Force and partner agencies made eight arrests and seized multiple kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine, three firearms, and more than $100,000 in suspected drug sale proceeds. The search warrants and arrests occurred between January 27, 2023 and February 17, 2023.
In a news release sent to 22News from Massachusetts State Police Spokesperson Dave Procopio, the investigation into the drug trafficking organization, which was supplying heroin and fentanyl in Hampden County, was begun in 2022 by the West Unit of the State Police Commonwealth Interstate Narcotics Reduction Enforcement Team (CINRET-West). The suppliers were selling heroin, much of which field-tested positive for fentanyl, in the Springfield area.
SEIZED: Hampden County Drug Trafficking Ring
- Approximately 9.5 kilograms of suspected cocaine
- 2.3 kilograms of a narcotic packaged as heroin
- (much of which was field tested and determined to actually be fentanyl — packed into 111,200 individual small baggies)
- 28 grams of suspected fentanyl pills
- 18 pounds of marijuana
- Approximately $104,000
- 6 motor vehicles associated with the drug organization operations
- 3 handguns:
- Browning 1911 .380 caliber with ammunition
- Loaded SCCY CPX-2
- Loaded Smith and Wesson .357 Magnum
PHOTOS: Hampden County Drug Trafficking Ring
CHARGES: Hampden County Drug Trafficking Ring
- Josue Figueroa (29) of Springfield:
- Trafficking heroin or fentanyl, 200 grams or more
- Trafficking cocaine, 200 grams or more
- Conspiracy to violate narcotic laws
- Robert Bigio Sr. (60) of Springfield:
- Trafficking heroin, 100-200 grams
- Trafficking fentanyl, 10 or more grams
- Trafficking cocaine, 100-200 grams
- Possession of marijuana with intent to distribute
- Robert Bigio Jr. (34) of Springfield:
- Trafficking heroin, 100-200 grams
- Trafficking fentanyl, 10 or more grams
- Trafficking cocaine, 100-200 grams
- Possession of marijuana with intent to distribute
- Alexander Rodriguez (33) of Holyoke:
- Trafficking heroin, 200 grams or more
- Trafficking fentanyl
- Possession of marijuana with intent to distribute
- Emmanuel Montano (38) of Springfield:
- Trafficking in heroin or fentanyl, 36-100 grams
- Heriberto Escalera (34) of Springfield:
- Trafficking heroin or fentanyl, 36-100 grams, 2ndoffense
- Trafficking cocaine, 100-200 grams
- Unlawful possession of a firearm, two counts
- Unlawful possession of ammunition, two counts
- Possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, two counts
- Possession of a firearm with a prior conviction for a crime involving violence or drugs, two counts
- Christopher Bermudez (29) of Holyoke:
- Possession of heroin
- Aneudy Lopez-Santos (40) of Holyoke:
- Trafficking cocaine, 100-200 grams
Massachusetts State Police CINRET-West Unit
The State Police CINRET-West unit is comprised of State Troopers and members of the Springfield, Holyoke, Easthampton, Westfield, Ludlow, and Pittsfield Police Departments, the Springfield Office of the federal Homeland Security Investigations Department, the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, and the Massachusetts National Guard. Other agencies and units assisting in the investigation were the Springfield Police Firearm Investigation Unit, the Hampden District Attorney’s Office, the State Police Detective Unit for Hampden County, the Springfield Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the US Postal Inspection Service, and the Hampden County Strategic Action and Focused Enforcement (SAFE) Unit.
STATEMENTS: Hampden County Drug Trafficking Investigation
“CINRET’s unique mission is to interdict large-scale drug trafficking organizations through long-term, complex investigations,” State Police Interim Colonel John Mawn Jr. said. “Dismantling these organizations that import death onto our streets is a priority of the Massachusetts State Police and our partner agencies.”
Springfield Police Superintendent Cheryl Clapprood stated, “The CINRET-West Unit has a track record of removing significant amounts of narcotics from our city streets, arresting notable players involved in the drug trade and ultimately saving lives. The end result of this investigation is a testament to their dedicated service. Having a Springfield Police Task Force Officer assigned to this Unit ensures that we will continue to work together throughout Hampden County to seize these narcotics which are now far too often laced with the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl. I’d like to thank Colonel Mawn and District Attorney Gulluni as well as our local and state partners on the CINRET-West team and our regional and federal involved in this successful investigation.”
Massachusetts Opioid Overdoses
As of February 26, 2023, the Massachusetts State Police were called to 79 overdoses across the state, administering the overdose reversal drug Narcan eight times.
In Hampden County, the State Police were called to 57 overdoses believed caused by heroin or fentanyl in 2022. The same year, Springfield Police Detectives were called to 487 suspected overdoses, administering the overdose reversal drug 115 times.
In the state of Massachusetts, State Police were called to a total of 692 suspected heroin or fentanyl overdoses in 2022, administering the overdose reversal drug 56 times.
