Dominican National Who Absconded from New Jersey is Extradited to Face Heroin and Fentanyl Trafficking Charges

NEWARK, N.J. – A citizen of the Dominican Republic was extradited to the United States this week on charges relating to his participation in a drug trafficking conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

Ezequiel Brito, a/k/a “Jose Luis Portorreal Cruz,” 40, is charged by indictment with one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl. He made his initial appearance on July 2, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark federal court and was detained.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

On or about June 17, 2021, Brito conspired to distribute, and possessed with intent to distribute, heroin and more than 400 grams of fentanyl. Brito was first arrested and charged by complaint on June 17, 2021, and was released on a $100,000 unsecured appearance bond. In or around September 2022, Brito absconded from pre-trial supervision and fled to the Dominican Republic.

The charges of conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl each carry a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, a mandatory term of 10 years’ imprisonment, and a fine of up to $10,000,000.

U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents and task force officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration, New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz, with the investigation that led to the charges.  The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in the Dominican Republic to secure the arrest and extradition of Brito.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about OCDETFs, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

This investigation is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s OCDETFs and Project Safe Neighborhood.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly M. Lyons of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

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Defense counsel:

Michael Thomas, Esq., Newark, New Jersey