5,400 bags of fentanyl seized in East Hartford drug raid, officials say

Three Connecticut residents have been indicted on federal fentanyl trafficking charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Connecticut said Wednesday.

A total of 5,400 dose bags of fentanyl were seized from Issachamil Torres, 35, of Hartford, Efrain Cheverez, 32, of Hartford, and Enrique Rodriguez Rivera, 23 of East Hartford, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

The bags were seized from an apartment on Nutmeg Lane in East Hartford, where all three people were arrested, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

A search of Torres’ residence on Crown Street in Hartford uncovered quantities of fentanyl and crack cocaine as well, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

A grand jury in Hartford indicted the three defendants on charges that included one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Torres, Cheverez and Rodriguez were each also charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. The indictment also charged Torres with one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine.

Rodriguez pleaded not guilty to the charges. Torres and Cheverez will be arraigned next week.

The fentanyl crisis has become a major national issue in recent years as the use of fentanyl in manufacturing drugs has become popular among drug dealers.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there were 70,601 deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone, primarily fentanyl, across the U.S. in 2021. According to the state Department of Public Health, its emergency department recorded 370 visits for suspected opioid overdoses last May, which was the latest available data.

In September 2021, United States Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco and Drug Enforcement Administration official Anne Milgram announced