Two Connecticut men are accused of manufacturing pills containing fentanyl, methamphetamines and other illegal substances and giving them to associates who sold them to customers in person and through the mail.
Hector Gonzalez, 42, of Ansonia, and Darel Edwards, also known as “Woo,” 48, of New Haven, have been charged by indictment with narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut.
A federal grand jury returned a seven-count indictment on Tuesday charging Gonzalez and Edwards with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, controlled substances. If convicted, Gonzalez faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison. Edwards faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
The indictment also charges Gonzalez with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and Edwards with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, controlled substances
The indictment alleged that Gonzalez was using multiple tableting/pill pressing machines to make counterfeit pills resembling pharmaceutical grade Oxycodone and Adderall pills which contain “fentanyl and methamphetamine, and generic pills in various shapes, colors, and sizes, and bearing logos and designs, which contained various illicit substances, including fentanyl, carfentanil, xylazine, methamphetamine and cocaine.”
Gonzalez then allegedly distributed the pills through a network of associates, including Edwards, who sold them to customers in Connecticut and out of state using the U.S. Mail, according to the indictment.
New Haven police arrested Edwards on March 14, 2025, after allegedly finding him in possession of more than 200 grams of narcotics pills produced by Gonzalez, the indictment alleges.
While he was released on bond, investigators allegedly observed Edwards meeting with Gonzalez on May 8, 2025, to get more pills, according to the indictment. The Connecticut State Police attempted to stop Edwards’ vehicle following the meeting, but he allegedly fled at a high rate of speed before abandoning his vehicle in New Haven.
The indictment also alleges that, in June 2025, Edwards and “an associate” sold narcotics pills and a short-barreled rifle to an undercover ATF agent.
Gonzalez and Edwards were arrested on federal charges on June 30, 2026. During a search of Gonzalez’s residence, investigators alleged discovered “three mechanical pill pressing machines, more than two kilograms of fentanyl in both powder and counterfeit pill form, more than two kilograms of methamphetamine, two firearms, approximately $280,000 in cash, and diamond encrusted jewelry,” according to the indictment.
Gonzalez and Edwards have been detained since their arrests, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
According to the indictment, Gonzalez and Edwards face enhanced penalties based on prior felony convictions in Connecticut state court. In 2007, Gonzalez was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and, in 2004, Edwards was convicted of first-degree assault.
The investigated was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with the assistance of Homeland Securities Investigation, the Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Hamden, and Ansonia Police Departments.