Two Middlesex County Residents Arrested In $500K Cocaine Bust, Authorities Say

By JASON KOESTENBLATT (Patch Staff)

Two men and one woman were arrested after police say they received a shipment of cocaine through the United States Postal Service to a Somerset County residence earlier this month.

Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey Soriano announced the arrests of Joel Osman Matos-Santiago, 33, of New Brunswick; Victor Santana-Ricardo, 27, of New Brunswick; and Jessica Rodriguez, 25, of Franklin Township for their alleged roles in receiving five kilograms of cocaine valued at $500,000.

The prosecutor’s office Organized Crime and Narcotics Task Force was alerted by the U.S. Postal Service that a shipment containing drugs would be delivered to a North Dover Avenue residence in Franklin Township on Oct. 8, Soriano said.

Detectives and postal service officers intercepted two packages addressed to Jessica Rodriguez and Somerset County Sheriff’s Office K-9 “Apex” gave a positive indication for drugs inside the packages, Soriano said.

A surveillance team was then organized to scope out the vicinity of the Dover Avenue residence and witnessed Santana-Ricardo and Matos-Santiago outside the home at 3:30 p.m. that day. When the postal worker arrived with the packages, Matos-Santiago left in his vehicle immediately, while Santana-Ricardo told the delivery worker he was Jessica Rodriguez’s husband and would take the package, Soriano said.

A few minutes later Matos-Santiago returned and retrieved the packages, placing them in the rear seat of the vehicle and left the area “at a high rate of speed,” Soriano said.

Detectives then attempted to stop the vehicle, but Matos-Santiago tried eluding them while “making evasive maneuvers with his vehicle,” Soriano said. The chase ended when the driver hit a police vehicle and he was placed under arrest.

A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of two packages in the rear seat containing five kilograms of cocaine, Soriano said.

Santana-Ricardo was arrested at the residence without incident and Jessica Rodriguez was arrested when she arrived home at 5:30 p.m.

Matos-Santiago was charged with possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute, conspiracy to commit a CDS offense, and second degree eluding.

Santana-Ricardo and Rodriguez were charged with possession of a cocaine with intent to distribute, and conspiracy to commit a CDS offense.