BROCKTON – A New Bedford man has been arrested and was scheduled to be arraigned today on charges that he allegedly used the U.S. Mail to receive a two-kilo package of cocaine, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz has announced.

State Police arrested 46-year-old Neftali Montero-Pellot of New Bedford late Friday afternoon on one count of trafficking cocaine over 200 grams. Montero-Pellot was scheduled to be arraigned today in Wareham District Court on the charge.

Montero-Pellot’s arrest follows an investigation by the Massachusetts State Police Commonwealth Interstate Narcotic Reduction Enforcement Team (CINRET), State Police Detectives assigned to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office, United States Postal Inspectors and the Wareham Police.

As part of that investigation, detectives developed information that a suspicious package was scheduled for delivery on March 12, 2019 to 15 Kendrick Road in Wareham, Montero-Pellot’s place of work. Officials believed the package contained cocaine and was being shipped from Puerto Rico. U.S. Postal Inspectors tracked the shipment and Montero-Pellot was identified as the receiver of the package. During the investigation, Montero-Pellot was observed to have received parcels through the U.S. Mail that were being shipped to 15 Kendrick Road in Wareham.

On March 12, 2019, Massachusetts State Police CINRET, State Police Detectives assigned to the Plymouth County DA’s Office, US Postal Inspectors and Wareham Police arranged a controlled delivery of the package to 15 Kendrick Road. Upon attempted delivery of the package, investigators found Montero-Pellot was not at work that day and learned he had been suspended from his job. Postal inspectors modified the tracking information to signify to Montero-Pellot that the package would be available for pickup at the Wareham Post Office.

On March 14, 2019, State Police and the postal inspector sought and received a federal search warrant to open the package. Inside, detectives located two individually packaged rectangular bricks of a compressed white power substance which field tested positive for the presence of cocaine. The combined weight of the bricks was five pounds and they were wrapped to look like a child’s birthday present. The package also contained a toy and bag of child birthday party favors.

This past Friday, authorities made contact with Montero-Pellot to pick up the package at the Wareham Post Office. At approximately 11:29 a.m., police observed Montero-Pellot arrive at the post office, enter and present the tracking information to secure the parcel. Montero-Pellot was handed the package and attempted to leave when he was placed under arrest without incident.

The investigation is ongoing and was performed by Massachusetts State Police CINRET, State Police Detectives assigned to the Plymouth County DA’s Office, United States Postal Inspectors and the Wareham Police.

--Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office

More From WBSM-AM/AM 1420