LAWRENCE, Mass. — Eleven people were arrested last week in connection with a major drug bust that led to the dismantling of a fentanyl trafficking operation in the Merrimack Valley, authorities announced Monday.
The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, state police, local police departments, and federal agents executed search warrants at seven locations in Lawrence, Lynn, and Methuen on Thursday morning, arresting several suspected fentanyl traffickers and seizing more than 18 kilograms of fentanyl, two unlawfully-possessed semi-automatic pistols, and a portable hydraulic compartment used to hide narcotics, according to state officials.
The raid, dubbed “Operation Philly Special,” was the result of an investigation that began in November 2022 after information provided to police in Salem, New Hampshire, indicated that an alleged Lawrence-based drug trafficking organization was supplying fentanyl throughout the Merrimack Valley, officials said.
Traditional and electronic surveillance, data analysis, and court-authorized electronic intercepts of target cell phones helped investigators identify five locations of interest in Lawrence, as well as one each in Lynn and Methuen.
At one target location in Lawrence, a female tried to rush a child with a backpack out of the residence as state police were making entry but investigators stopped the woman and child and located a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and ammunition inside the backpack, according to officials. The woman was arrested and charged with child endangerment.
Entry at another location in Lawrence is said to have led to the discovery of an active fentanyl procession plant. The building was secured from the outside and a Clandestine Lab Enforcement Team wearing full-body PPE was called in to conduct testing and collect evidence. Officials confirmed that multiple samples of exposed substances tested positive for fentanyl.
The fentanyl seized in the raid would have an estimated value of nearly $1 million, according to state police.
The following individuals were arraigned on charges in Lawrence District Court:
Rafael Saldana Dias, 26, of Lawrence
Trafficking a Class A substance, over 36 grams (4 counts)
Trafficking a Class A substance, over 200 grams (1 count)
Conspiracy (1 count)
Bail set for $250,000
Yosmeiry Martinez Ramon, 21, of Lawrence
Trafficking a Class A substance, over 200 grams (1 count)
Conspiracy (1 count)
Bail set for $2,500
Freddy Alexander Suazo Tejeda, 36, of Lawrence
Trafficking a Class A substance, over 200 grams (1 count)
Conspiracy (1 count)
Bail set for $100,000
Rafelin Lugo Tejada, 32, of Lawrence
Trafficking a Class A substance, over 200 grams (1 count)
Conspiracy (1 count)
Bail set for $100,000
Yahannys Anziani, 34, of Lawrence
Unlawful Possession of Firearm (1 count)
Unlawful Possession of Ammunition (1 count)
Child Endangerment (1 count)
Bail set for $2,500
Augusto Moscat, 39, of Lawrence
Unlawful Possession of Firearm (1 count)
Unlawful Possession of Ammunition (1 count)
Child Endangerment (1 count)
Bail set for $2,500
Henderson Martinez, 34, of Lawrence
Trafficking a Class A substance, over 36 grams (1 count)
Bail set for $100,000
Wilkin Antonio Perez, 26, of Lawrence
Trafficking a Class A substance, over 200 grams (1 count)
Bail set for $10,000
Marcos Santos, 37, of Lawrence
Conspiracy (1 count)
Released on personal recognizance.
The following individual was arraigned in Lynn District Court:
Miguel Medrano, 55, of Lynn
Trafficking of Class A substance, over 200 grams (1 count)
Bail set for $250,000
The following individual will be arraigned in Lynn District Court at a later date:
Henderson Martin, 34, of Lawrence
Trafficking of Class A substance, over 200 grams (1 count)
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