BOSTON — A Worcester man pleaded guilty June 27 to his involvement in a cocaine distribution conspiracy after an investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New England.
Luis Torres, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and one count of use of a communication facility to facilitate a drug felony. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 17. Torres was indicated by a federal grand jury in December 2022.
Torres conspired with others to coordinate delivery of a package sent from Puerto Rico containing 4 to 6 kilograms of cocaine and then conspired to take possession of the cocaine with the intent to distribute it. In June 2022, HSI special agents intercepted the package and executed a controlled delivery, during which another individual accepted the package while Torres sat in a car nearby. HSI special agents arrested Torres at the scene and recovered $26,480 in cash from the car he was in. Torres admitted he received cash as an advance payment for one of the kilos of cocaine.
The charge of conspiring to distribute 500 or more grams of cocaine provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of using a communications facility to facilitate a drug felony provides for up to four years of incarceration, a fine up to $250,000 and supervised release of up to one year.
HSI New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol, acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Division acting Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau and Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police John E. Mawn Jr. made the announcement June 28.
About HSI
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce consists of over 10,000 employees, assigned to 235 offices within the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI's international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.