Fall River police say a coordinated crackdown on unauthorized "waterfront living" along the Quequechan River led to a search warrant, arrests and more eyes on a stretch of encampments that has been frustrating neighbors for years.
Officers moved in near Lewiston Street and Interstate 195 after what they described as weeks of undercover work sparked by complaints from nearby residents and businesses about suspected illegal activity along the waterfront.
What police say
In a post on the City of Fall River Police Department Facebook page, the department said detectives with the Community Action and Suppression Team executed a search warrant at an encampment near the Quequechan River after a three-week undercover and surveillance investigation.
According to that post, detectives seized about 16.5 grams of suspected crack cocaine, roughly 1 gram of suspected fentanyl, 17 Suboxone strips and other items they say were tied to drug distribution. Police reported that Antone Costa was arrested and charged with multiple drug distribution counts, while Bryttany Lemieux was taken into custody on an outstanding warrant.
Chief J. T. Hoar, quoted in the post, said that "our response reflects the balance between compassion and accountability," underscoring the now-familiar line that the city is trying to pair enforcement with outreach.
History of complaints and previous sweeps
This latest operation is part of an ongoing effort along the Quequechan corridor, where residents and businesses have repeatedly reported trash, used needles and public drug use over several years.
Fall River police carried out a large sweep along the Quequechan Rail Trail in August 2025 that led to dozens of arrests and a continued on-the-ground outreach push, according to reporting by the Fall River Reporter. Local coverage has also tracked ongoing complaints about overdoses, assaults and other public safety issues in the same general area.
Outreach promised
Police say city outreach teams will keep offering services to people displaced by this week’s sweep, and that several occupants were given notice to leave the unauthorized encampment.
That combination of police action and social service outreach mirrors earlier operations documented by local media, which noted that outreach workers have repeatedly offered housing and treatment options while sweeps took place, according to WSAR. Officials have said that in many past cases those offers were turned down, which has complicated efforts to clear heavily used public spaces.
Charges and civil concerns
The department’s Facebook post stated that complaints forwarded by staff in the Mayor’s Office and by city council members helped spur the latest investigation. Police said several other occupants were ordered to leave the encampment during the operation.
The post stressed that "being homeless is not a crime" while also highlighting the recovery of suspected narcotics and paraphernalia and noting that Costa faces multiple distribution charges. Court records and detailed booking information were not immediately available, and police did not include the full list of charges in the Facebook post.
For the complete statement from the department, see the City of Fall River Police Department.
What residents can expect
Police say they plan to maintain visible patrols and routine sweeps of waterfront areas, while outreach workers remain available to anyone who wants help.
Previous sweeps in the Quequechan area left a clear imprint on the neighborhood and drew a mixed reaction, with some residents praising cleaner public spaces and advocates criticizing the approach as too enforcement-heavy and not focused enough on housing-first solutions, according to local reporting by the Fall River Reporter. City officials have not given a specific timeline for any follow-up operations tied to this latest action.
