Eleven people charged In federal court with heroin and fentanyl trafficking in the Milwaukee area
MILWAUKEE - DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Paul E. Maxwell, Jr. and Matthew D. Krueger, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced today that 11 defendants have been charged with conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 40 grams or more of fentanyl in the Milwaukee area. Over one kilogram of fentanyl has been seized during the course of the investigation. If convicted of the heroin and fentanyl charges, each defendant faces a mandatory minimum term of five years in prison.
The defendants charged are:
Name Age
Adolfo Reye-Feliciano 26
Jonathan Aranzamendi-Maldonado 43
Azahel Velazquez-Melgoza 22
Brian A. Melendez-Santiago 22
Jomuel Lozano-Martinez 27
Malek A. Farakhna 32
Kendell R. Newkirk 24
Angel R. Padilla-Colon 25
EduardoI. Gutierrez-Armedariz 36
Eduardo De Jesus Robles-Cambronero 27
Mario J. Navarro 21
On Jan. 15, 2020, federal, state, and local law enforcement officers arrested ten of the defendants. Two of the arrested defendants were undocumented aliens from Mexico and subject to immediate removal. The officers also executed search warrants in Milwaukee resulting in the seizure of approximately 800 grams of black tar heroin, 200 grams of fentanyl, and one firearm.
“In 2019, fentanyl was the leading cause for overdose deaths in the city of Milwaukee. The DEA, along with our local, state, and federal partners have been and will continue to aggressively investigate and arrest those individuals who profit from the pain and suffering of others,” said DEA Milwaukee District Office Assistant Special Agent in Charge Paul E. Maxwell, Jr. “Yesterday’s law enforcement operations are a shining example of this common goal to save lives and make our communities a safer place to live.”
“Fentanyl and heroin are extremely dangerous opioids that have led to numerous overdose deaths,” said United States Attorney Krueger in announcing the charges. “As these charges show, law enforcement is devoted to working collaboratively and aggressively to combat drug trafficking.”
The defendants were charged based on a multi-year investigation led by law enforcement agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, the city of Kenosha Police Department, the city of Greenfield Police Department, and the city of West Allis Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mario Gonzales.
The public is cautioned that an indictment is merely a charge and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
