Roman Santiago Jr., 42, of Danbury, pleaded guilty on April 16 before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to a cocaine trafficking offense, according to an announcement by David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
The case involves a conspiracy from September 2024 to February 2025 in which Santiago arranged for cocaine shipments from Puerto Rico to Connecticut using the U.S. Mail. Authorities said that multiple packages sent from Puerto Rico and intended for Santiago were intercepted during the investigation, each containing about two kilograms of cocaine.
Santiago was arrested on February 12, 2025. A search at his residence uncovered a mailed package with cocaine as well as additional quantities of both cocaine and fentanyl. Investigators seized more than eleven kilograms of cocaine during their efforts.
Santiago admitted guilt to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine—a charge carrying a mandatory minimum prison term of ten years and up to life imprisonment. He is currently released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing scheduled for July 23.
The matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force, which includes several federal and local agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan Guevremont and Christopher Lembo are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, described as a nationwide initiative utilizing Department of Justice resources against illegal immigration, drug cartels, transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and violent crime perpetrators.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut prosecutes federal crimes and manages civil cases for the United States in the state while operating offices in New Haven, Hartford, and Bridgeport; it employs about sixty-eight assistant attorneys along with fifty-seven support staff members according to its official website. The office serves all residents statewide according to its official website.
Additionally, alumni from this office have gone on to serve as federal or state judges or elected officials according to its official website. The office advances justice initiatives aimed at improving quality of life throughout Connecticut according to its official website.
