State Police Task Force, DEA, arrest man after 5 pounds of fentanyl, 2 guns, pills, cocaine, $38k seized

The Rhode Island State Police has announced that on Tuesday, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and DEA Providence district Office arrested a Rhode Island man on weapons and narcotics charges. During this investigation, a Bersa .380 semi-automatic pistol and a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber pistol with altered serial numbers was seized along with 2282 grams of fentanyl, 23. Grams of fentanyl pressed M/30 pills, 189 grams of cocaine, and $38,120 in cash.

This seizure and arrest were the result of an investigation initiated by the Rhode Island State Police HIDTA Task Force regarding an individual allegedly involved in the distribution of fentanyl, and the execution of a court authorized search warrant on Babcock Street in Providence.

46-year-old Edwin Torres of Providence was specially arraigned by a Justice of the Peace and held without bail at the Adult Correctional Facility pending future court dates. Narcotic charges include possession of fentanyl over one kilogram, possession of cocaine one ounce to one kilogram, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance (fentanyl), possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance (cocaine). Weapons charges include possession of firearms by certain persons prohibited, possession of a firearm while committing a controlled substance violation (two counts), and alteration of marks of identification on firearms.

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, North Providence Police Department, Lincoln Police Department, Middletown Police Department, Bristol Police Department, Narragansett Police, DEA Providence District Office, and Department and Rhode Island National Guard Counterdrug Program.