Cocaine mailed from Puerto Rico seized, Wilkes-Barre man arrested

WILKES-BARRE — A Wilkes-Barre man was caught picking up a package of cocaine shipped from Puerto Rico to a residence on Madison Street earlier this week.

Raul J. Pichardo Sanchez, 22, of Sullivan Street, was arrested after he retrieved the package from the front porch of the Madison Street house on Wednesday, according to court records.

Sanchez was arraigned by District Judge Thomas Malloy of Wilkes-Barre on a single felony count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. Sanchez was jailed without bail at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility as Malloy deemed him a flight risk and a danger to the community.

According to the criminal complaint filed by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and Drug Control:

A package mailed from San Juan, Puerto Rico, was inspected by U.S. Postal inspectors and a drug detecting canine on Oct. 14. The package had a shipping label listing a fictitious name and a residence on Madison Street, Wilkes-Barre.

When the drug canine gave a positive hit on the package, a federal search warrant was obtained resulting in a vacuum sealed bag of cocaine into a brick being discovered, the complaint says.

The cocaine weighed 1026 grams.

Authorities seized the cocaine and replaced it with a similar looking item.

Undercover agents posed as a postal carrier and delivered the package to the residence on Madison Street.

Shortly after the package was delivered, Sanchez exited a vehicle parked in front of the residence and picked up the package before returning to his vehicle, the complaint says.

Sanchez was arrested by a team of agents when he was about to drive away.

Police in Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton assisted in the arrest of Sanchez.