MA Fentanyl Ring Disrupted, $1.4M In Drugs Seized

FRAMINGHAM, MA — State police on Monday said that a large fentanyl trafficking operation in the Massachusetts was disrupted after arrests that happened around the state late last week.

Across three operations, police seized about 6-1/2 kilograms — or about 14 pounds — of the dangerous synthetic opioid worth about $1.4 million on the street. Police also seized methamphetamine, weapons and $316,000 in cash from a drug trafficking ring that spanned Lawrence to Fall River.

The first arrest happened last Thursday after police seized about 2-1/2 kilograms of fentanyl from a Lawrence man. The drugs were destined for Fall River, police said.

On Friday, police arrested two women in Boston after they were caught transporting drugs from a home in Methuen, police said. Police returned to the Methuen home on Saturday morning, where they recovered methamphetamine, Xanax and oxycodone.

A 30-year-old man who was under home monitoring was living at that home. Police let him leave the home while they obtained a search warrant. He later cut off his home monitoring bracelet, and police are still looking for him.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that can be up to 100 times more powerful than morphine, and thus extremely dangerous. The prescription drug is often used to cut heroin and increase its potency, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency.

The announcement was made on international Opioid Awareness Day.

A total of five people were arrested by police in connection to the fentanyl busts, police said:

• Isadora Castro, 29, and Kaylin Guillermo, 33, were both arrested on drug trafficking charges
• Jose Baez-Lara, 32, was also charged with drug trafficking.
• Two men from Fall River were arrested, but police were still investigating and did not release their names