75,000 fentanyl pills seized as part of Rhode Island drug trafficking investigation

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Two Rhode Island men are facing charges and more than 75,000 fentanyl pills are off the streets after an investigation into drug trafficking in the state.

According to court documents, 33-year-old Jorge Pimentel, of Cranston, and Matthew Jones, 29, of North Smithfield are both charged with conspiracy to distribute and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, distribution of 400 grams or more of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

Charging documents allege that after an ongoing FBI Rhode Island Safe Streets Task Force investigation, officials learned that Pimentel arranged narcotic sales and deliveries containing thousands of fentanyl pills. In each instance, the pills were seized by the FBI task force.

In addition to the seizure of tens of thousands of fentanyl pills during the investigation, on September 28, a search done on a Pawtucket storage unit led to the seizure of approximately 5.7 kilograms of fentanyl, 50 kilograms of binding agents, two commercial pill presses and a kilo press.

All together, over 75,000 pills and more than two kilograms of fentanyl powder were seized.