A fentanyl ring in Hazleton racked up more than a $1 million in sales already this year. On Thursday, it was taken down in a series of raids.
According to information provided by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, six people were arrested in two house raids Thursday, May 2. A total of 145 bricks of fentanyl were seized in the raids. One brick contained at least 50 bags of fentanyl.
Here are the names of those arrested in the raids: Joel Tejada Guerra, 28, Hazleton; Manuel Sanchez Medina, Hazleton; Christian Tejada Guerra, 18, Hazleton; Richardson Rosario, 20, Hazleton; Angel Estrada, 32, Kingston; Hassan Harrell, 27, Freeland.
Guerra is the suspected ringleader, according to the AG’s office. The drug ring ran since 2016 and was taken down by a wiretap investigation.
“The heroin and opioid epidemic is ravaging Pennsylvania communities—including right here in Hazleton,” Shapiro says.
“Luzerne County lost 143 individuals to drug overdose in 2018, and fentanyl is now responsible for approximately 2/3 of overdose deaths. An important part of my job as the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of Pennsylvania is to target high level drug dealers who are pushing these poisons into our communities.
“I’m grateful for the strong collaboration between state and local law enforcement to break up this fentanyl distribution ring and bring the perpetrators to justice.”
Here are the law enforcement agencies who participated in bringing down the fentanyl ring: PA Office of Attorney General Bureau of Narcotics – Region VIII – Wilkes-Barre, PA Office of Attorney General Strategic Response Team, PA Office of Attorney Special Operations Group, Hazleton City Police Department, Hazleton City Police Department Special Operations Group, West Hazleton Police Department, Luzerne County Drug Task Force, Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office, Scranton Police Bomb Squad, and K-9 Justice and Chase from the Wilkes-Barre City and Hazleton City Police Department.
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