A federal judge in Providence sentenced five members of a fentanyl distribution network to a combined 87 years in federal prison this week, capping a two-year Drug Enforcement Administration investigation that authorities say dismantled one of the most prolific drug trafficking operations in Rhode Island history.

The ring, which operated primarily in the Olneyville and South Providence neighborhoods, is believed to have distributed more than 40 kilograms of fentanyl and fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills over an 18-month period, contributing to what DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Boyle called "a tsunami of overdose deaths in communities that can least afford to lose their young people."

The ringleader, 34-year-old Carlos Mendez of Providence, received a 25-year sentence after being convicted on charges of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in death, following the overdose fatalities of three individuals who purchased pills from the network. Four co-defendants received sentences ranging from 12 to 18 years.

U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha praised the sentences as a message to drug traffickers operating in Rhode Island. "These are not minor offenders. These are people who knowingly flooded our communities with a poison that has killed thousands of Rhode Islanders," Cunha said. "We will continue to pursue the most serious charges available against those who profit from addiction and death."

Rhode Island recorded 391 overdose deaths in 2025, with fentanyl involved in more than 85 percent of cases, according to the state Department of Health. Conservative lawmakers have repeatedly called for mandatory minimum sentences for fentanyl trafficking, arguing that the state's criminal justice system has been too lenient with drug dealers. "Sentences like these save lives," said state Sen. Mark McKenney, R-Warwick. "When dealers know they face decades in federal prison, some of them will think twice."