On Friday, 02/14/2025 at approximately 9:30 AM, members of the Connecticut State Police Statewide Narcotics Task Force, Hartford Police Department Vice & Narcotics Unit, West Hartford Police Department, and the Homeland Security Investigations Hartford BEST Team served a narcotics related search warrant on Harvard Street in Hartford. This operation was the result of a long-term investigation of Cocaine being shipped through commercial parcel carriers from Puerto Rico to several cities located throughout Connecticut.
During this investigation, Connecticut State Police Detectives assigned to the Statewide Narcotics Task Force, working in conjunction with Special Agents with the Homeland Security Investigations Hartford BEST Team, were notified of the discovery of suspicious packages at a commercial parcel shipping facility in Hartford. Investigators were advised that there were two packages received to their facility which were subject to search, per policy, as both were suspected to contain narcotics. Both packages were shipped from separate addresses in Puerto Rico, however, were addressed to be delivered to the same address in Hartford.
Both packages were determined to contain ten plastic wrapped brick shaped objects each, to which each contained a white powdery substance. The substance from each package was field tested and showed the presumptive presence of cocaine. The weight in total exceeded 22,000 grams, with an approximate street value worth $600,000.00. The contents of the packages were subsequently seized as evidence.
Based upon this finding, SNTF Detectives continued their investigation and determined that the recipient listed on the packages did in fact reside at the listed address in Hartford. SNTF Detectives applied for a search warrant of this residence, which was later granted through Hartford Superior Court. Detectives repackaged the parcels, each containing a sham substance representative of the same initial weight within each package.
On Friday, 02/14/25 at approximately 9:30 AM, Detectives facilitated the delivery of both packages to the address in Hartford. With the assistance of HSI Detectives, Detectives from the Hartford Police Department and West Hartford Police Department, surveillance of the residence was established. The resident of the address previously identified, Karla Flores (DOB 11/10/79), of Hartford, was present at the front door to accept the delivery. A male was observed in a white Volkswagen nearby watching the delivery take place, and immediately following the delivery was observed backing the Volkswagen into the driveway of the residence. Based upon this, Detectives converged on the residence to execute the search warrant.
Upon arrival on scene, Detectives observed the male previously observed in the Volkswagen running from the residence back to his vehicle in the driveway. The male was subsequently detained and identified as Christian Burgos-Rodriguez (DOB 10/26/94), also of Hartford. Flores was located within the residence and was also detained without incident. As Detectives continued the investigation within the residence, a two-year-old child was located in the care of Flores.
A search of the residence led to the discovery of various packaging materials commonly associated with the sale of illicit narcotics, including a 100-gram weight. Weights of this nature are commonly used to calibrate scales for the measuring of narcotics materials for sale and/or distribution. Additionally, a small bag containing a tan powder-like substance was located near these materials. This substance was field tested and showed the presumptive presence of Fentanyl.
Flores and Burgos-Rodriguez were arrested and transported to Troop H, where they were each processed on the following charges:
CGS 53a-48/21a-278; Conspiracy To Commit Sale of a Controlled Substance
CGS 53-21; Risk of Injury to a Minor
Flores and Burgos-Rodriguez were each held on a $1,000,000 bond and are both scheduled to appear at Hartford Superior Court on 02/18/25. Please see the attached photos and criminal information summaries.
