HOLYOKE — Holyoke police arrested five individuals on drug charges following a multi-agency operation at Soucy Park on Thursday, authorities said.
The operation involved the Holyoke Police Department Narcotics/Vice Unit, DEA Springfield Resident Office, Western Massachusetts FBI Gang Task Force and the Hampden District Attorney’s SAFE Unit.
Officers conducted surveillance around the park in the early morning hours, observing suspected drug activity near Clemente Street and Spring Street.
At approximately 10:50 a.m., officers observed a truck driver interact with a suspect later identified as Gilberto Rodriguez-Sanchez, 32, of Holyoke.
Task force officers stopped the truck on Cabot Street and recovered 14 bags of heroin/fentanyl from the driver, David Pierce, 64, of Holyoke, who was arrested.
Around 11:10 a.m., detectives witnessed another suspected drug transaction involving Rodriguez-Sanchez and Sergey Tikhonchuk, 36, of Westfield.
Officers stopped Tikhonchuk on Race Street and recovered four bags of heroin, leading to his arrest.
Rodriguez-Sanchez was subsequently arrested on Clemente Street near the entrance to Soucy Park, with officers recovering approximately 100 bags of heroin and a dozen vials of suspected powder cocaine.
Johnny Ortiz, 61, of Holyoke was arrested inside the park after officers seized cocaine from him.
Angel Villanueva, 47, of Holyoke was also arrested on an outstanding warrant.
