A Fort Wayne and New Haven drug investigation led to three arrests in northeast Indiana, according to the Allen County Sheriff’s Department. Authorities said the case involved an alleged trafficking organization connected to fentanyl and cocaine distribution in the area.
The arrests came after a joint investigation involving local, state, and federal agencies. Officials have not framed this as a small possession case, but as part of a broader narcotics investigation reaching across Allen County and nearby communities.
The investigation involved the Allen County Sheriff’s Department and federal and state authorities, according to the release. Investigators said the case included multiple controlled buys of narcotics from members of the alleged drug ring before the arrests were made Wednesday.
The three men arrested were Manuel Osvaldo Tejon Rodriguez, 40, Jose Escalante Chinchillas, 35, and Jesus Gilberto Chavez Carvajal, 39. All three were booked into the Allen County Jail after authorities tied them to the alleged operation through the investigation.
Controlled buys matter because they give investigators a recorded path from suspicion to alleged sales. In a drug ring case, that can help prosecutors show repeated activity, identify who handled narcotics, and separate direct evidence from rumor or loose street talk.
When the three suspects were arrested, police said they found a mixture of suspected cocaine and fentanyl totaling more than 6 pounds. One package shown by the sheriff’s department was stamped with the Rolex logo, a detail investigators noted in the release.
A later search of a house on Stone Harbor Court in New Haven added another layer to the case. Investigators said they found 3 rifles and a handgun there, which turned the drug investigation into a firearms concern too.
The combination matters because fentanyl and cocaine already carry serious overdose risk, and weapons can make trafficking cases more dangerous fast. When firearms appear near suspected distribution activity, investigators usually treat the case as a wider public safety threat, not simple possession.
Manuel Osvaldo Tejon Rodriguez, 40, faces two counts of dealing cocaine or a narcotic drug as Level 2 felonies. The sheriff’s department also listed the same dealing charge against him as a Level 3 felony.
Jose Escalante Chinchillas, 35, faces two Level 2 felony counts of dealing cocaine or a narcotic drug, plus a Level 3 felony conspiracy charge. Jesus Gilberto Chavez Carvajal, 39, faces Level 2 felony counts for dealing and conspiracy.
The joint investigation involved DEA, Allen County deputies, Fort Wayne Police, New Haven Police, Indiana State Police, Noble County deputies, Auburn Police, HSI, the Indiana National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, and the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office.
Debate around drug ring cases often centers on what actually breaks a supply network: arrests, seizures, or the evidence that proves coordination. In northeast Indiana, prosecutors will likely need the controlled buys and agency work to show an organized operation, not separate conduct.
What comes next is the court review for Manuel Osvaldo Tejon Rodriguez, Jose Escalante Chinchillas, and Jesus Gilberto Chavez Carvajal. The strongest questions will be drug testing, firearm evidence, and whether investigators can tie each man to the alleged trafficking organization.