TRENTON — Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Division of Criminal Justice today announced a 53-count state grand jury indictment charging 20 people for their alleged roles in operating opioid mills in North Jersey.

The charges against the defendants include racketeering, promoting organized street crime, conspiracy, maintaining or operating a controlled dangerous substance (CDS) production facility, possession of a CDS, possession with intent to distribute CDS, distribution of CDS, distribution of CDS within 1,000 feet of school property, numerous firearms offenses, resisting arrest, aggravated assault, uttering false government documents, impersonation, hindering apprehension and financial facilitation of criminal activity.

According to the indictment:

The defendants – 11 of whom have been arrested — are charged with being members or associates of the Rodriguez, Sanchez, and Gutierrez Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO), a criminal enterprise operating from April 1, 2020, to Oct. 9, 2023, primarily in Paterson and Lodi. The Rodriguez, Sanchez, and Gutierrez DTO is a criminal enterprise whose members and associates generated income by maintaining or operating CDS production facilities and distributing CDS.

The New Jersey State Police recovered two firearms and approximately 126 ounces of heroin and 95 ounces of fentanyl from the various mill locations. At each location, the CDS was packaged in or accompanied by thousands of packaged wax folds containing powder in addition to materials consistent with CDS processing and packaging — empty wax folds, wood-handle stamps and ink pads, sifters, grinders, rubber bands, and digital scales. The DTO also procured several car rentals used by the enterprise using fraudulent driver’s licenses and fake identities.

The indictment alleges the defendants concealed their activities from law enforcement. They used mobile telephones; used associates or false identities to rent, lease, and/or buy vehicles and/or residences; used a variety of locations, residences or motor vehicles for packaging, storage, or delivery of controlled dangerous substances; and concealed the profits derived from their sale.

“Enforcement efforts like this are just one way we are working to reduce illicit drug use in our state,” Attorney General Platkin said. “Our Office of the New Jersey Coordinator of Addiction Responses and Enforcement Strategies is squarely focused on investing in resources and providing support to people battling with addiction and substance abuse disorders. Our multi-disciplinary approach resulted in a 30 percent decline in drug-related deaths last year, according to preliminary numbers on suspected drug deaths from the Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner, but we must continue the fight.”

The Office of Alternative and Community Responses (OACR), which houses the New Jersey Coordinator of Addiction Responses and Enforcement Strategies (NJCARES), is focused on investing in resources and providing support to people battling with addiction and substance use disorders. In addition to programs like Operation Helping Hand, which has partnered law enforcement agencies across New Jersey with peer recovery specialists to connect those they encounter to treatment, OACR relies heavily on community-based organizations funded and supported through Community-Based Violence Intervention and Hospital-Based Violence Intervention grants that intervene in cycles of violence and addiction and address the circumstances that lead to drug use.

“The indictment we’re announcing today charges a large group of people for their roles in operating or participating in the processing and packaging of opioids for sale on the streets of New Jersey,” Division of Criminal Justice Director Theresa L. Hilton said. “We continue to work diligently with our law enforcement partners to keep this poison off our streets. We will hold accountable anyone who engages in this illegal activity.”

“This indictment represents the tireless work by our detectives and law enforcement partners, who dedicated countless hours to bringing those responsible to justice,” Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police said. “By holding these individuals accountable, we have taken a critical step in dismantling a dangerous Drug Trafficking Network operating in North Jersey. This case underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting our communities, preventing further harm, and ensuring that those who threaten public safety face the consequences of their actions.”

The following is a list of defendants charged in the indictment, with the defendants who remain at large marked with an asterisk:

 

NAME	AGE	RESIDENCE
Adrian Rodriguez *	30	Woodland Park
Carlos Sanchez *	36	Paterson
Walter Gutierrez	33	Paterson
Javier Castro *	32	Paterson
Leonel Creque	36	Paterson
Alexander Madera *	24	Paterson
Harley Pallero	31	Paterson
Albert Rivera *	27	Paterson
Albert Lagua	27	Paterson
Francisco Garcia	37	Fairfield
Carlos Francisco	35	Paterson
Raymond Jaquez	30	Paterson
Tatiana Rosado	32	Fairfield
Cesar Marte-Perez *	24	Prospect Park
Edson Carranza	31	Clifton
Eduardo Godinez Jr.	28	Hawthorne
Khytiana Sanchez *	25	Corona, N.Y.
Jordany DeJesus *	27	Paterson
Freylin Nunez *	21	Bronx, N.Y.
Christopher Ynfante-Sanchez	36	Paterson

 

One additional defendant, Bryan Medina, was also indicted and arrested in connection with the case. Medina is charged with six counts, including second-degree conspiracy, but he is not charged as part of the racketeering enterprise.

The prosecution is being handled by DCJ Deputy Attorney General Matthew Bernal, under the supervision of Bureau Chief Cassandra Montalto. Deputy Attorney General Robert Anstatt also assisted with the case.

Charges are merely accusations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

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