Rhode Island State Police arrest 5, seize 5 guns, 33 kilos of fentanyl, 4.5 kilos of cocaine, 3.3 kilos of meth, 17 pounds of marijuana

Several men have been arrested in separate drug busts.

According to Rhode Island State Police, on Thursday, the Rhode Island State Police HIDTA Task Force, assisted by members of the Rhode Island State Police Detective Bureau, Providence Police Department, Pawtucket Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, concluded several months of unrelated narcotics and firearms investigations and seized weapons and a significant amount of narcotics at locations in Providence, Johnston, Smithfield, and Warwick.

“I want to commend our detectives and law enforcement partners for their great work on these investigations,” said Colonel Darnell S. Weaver, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police and Director of the Department of Public Safety. “As a result of their outstanding work, we took a tremendous amount of deadly narcotics off the street and seized illegal guns.”

In total, members of the State Police HIDTA Task Force seized:

• 33 kilograms of fentanyl
• 4.5 kilograms of cocaine
• 3.3 kilograms of Methamphetamine
• 170 grams of Heroin
• 17 pounds of Marijuana
• Sig Sauer .45 caliber pistol (loaded
• Smith and Wesson .380 caliber pistol
• Glock .45 caliber pistol
• Berretta 9mm pistol
• Smith and Wesson .380 caliber pistol with obliterated serial number
• numerous extended magazines,
• narcotics distribution materials, and a large sum of United States Currency.

The following individuals were arrested and charged:

Justin Bernard, age 29, of 212 Kilvert Street, Warwick for 1) Possession with Intent to Deliver of a Schedule I/II Controlled Substance – Cocaine 2) ) Possession with Intent to Deliver of a Schedule I/II Controlled Substance – Fentanyl 3) ) Possession with Intent to Deliver of a Schedule I/II Controlled Substance – Marijuana 4) Providence County Superior Court Bench Warrant for a 32F Technical Violation on a Possession of Schedule I-V charge out of the East Greenwich Police Department and 5) Third District Court Bench Warrant for Failure to Appear for Pretrial Conference on the original charge of Driving on a Suspended License. 

Nelson Castro, age 25, of 190 Putnam Pike Apartment #A, Johnston for 1) Possession with Intent to Deliver of a Schedule I/II Controlled Substance – Cocaine 2) ) Possession with Intent to Deliver of a Schedule I/II Controlled Substance – Fentanyl 3) Possession of a Firearm while Committing a Controlled Substance Violation. 

Daniel Douangmala, age 35, of 710 Providence Street Woonsocket for 1) Possession with Intent to Deliver of a Schedule I/II Controlled Substance – Cocaine 2) Possession of a Firearm while Committing a Controlled Substance Violation 3) License of Permit Required to Carry a Pistol 4) Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. 

Daniel Douangmala, age 35, of 710 Providence Street, Woonsocket for 1) Possession with Intent to Deliver of a Schedule I/II Controlled Substance – Cocaine 2) Possession of a Firearm while Committing a Controlled Substance Violation 3) License of Permit Required to Carry a Pistol 4) Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.

Jhogel Florentino, age 30, of 59 Thackery Street Apartment #4, Providence for 1) Possession of a Firearm while Committing a Controlled Substance Violation 2) Possession of a Firearm while Committing a Controlled Substance Violation 3) Possession of a Firearm while Committing a Controlled Substance Violation 4) Alteration of Marks of Identification of Firearms 5) Large Capacity Feeding Devices Prohibited 6) Large Capacity Feeding Devices Prohibited 7) Possession with Intent to Deliver of a Schedule I/II Controlled Substance – Fentanyl 8) Possession of Fentanyl In Excess of 1KG 9) Possession with Intent to Deliver of a Schedule I/II Controlled Substance – Cocaine 10) Possession of Cocaine In Excess of 1KG 11) Possession with Intent to Deliver of a Schedule I/II Controlled Substance – Methamphetamine 12) Possession of Methamphetamine In Excess of 1KG 13) Possession with Intent to Deliver of a Schedule I/II Controlled Substance – Marijuana 14) Possession of Marijuana in Excess of 5 KGs.

Fredy Montilla, age 41, of 27 Forrest Street Apartment #B, Warwick for 1) Possession with Intent to Deliver of a Schedule I/II Controlled Substance – Heroin 2) ) Possession with Intent to Deliver of a Schedule I/II Controlled Substance – Fentanyl 3) Possession of Heroin 1oz-1kg and 4) Possession of Fentanyl 1oz-1kg. 

All were arraigned on Friday and held without bail. 

All of these seizures are the direct result of a collaborative effort between the Rhode Island State Police and the numerous law enforcement partners who share the same goal of pursuing violent, and often armed narcotics distributors. The success of these investigations is attributed to the partnerships of the Rhode Island State Police, participating members of the HIDTA Task Force and other local and federal law enforcement agencies within the State of Rhode Island.

The Rhode Island State Police High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force is comprised of members from the Rhode Island State Police, Providence Police Department, Cranston Police Department, North Providence Police Department, Lincoln Police Department, Middletown Police Department, Bristol Police Department, Johnston Police Department, DEA Providence District Office, and Rhode Island National Guard Counterdrug Program.