A Dominican national living in Lawrence illegally, who is accused of conspiring to distribute tens of thousands of fentanyl pills across the U.S., was arrested Tuesday, federal prosecutors said.
The man, Juan Alexis Rodriguez Garcia, 35, who had been previously deported, is charged with conspiracy to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl and unlawful reentry of a deported alien. After an initial appearance in federal court in Boston Tuesday, he was ordered detained, U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah Foley’s office said in a statement.
Rodriguez Garcia was admitted to the U.S. in December 2009 as a lawful permanent resident in Puerto Rico. Nearly seven years later, in November 2016, he was arrested in North Andover for fentanyl distribution, which he was convicted of in May 2018, Foley’s office said.
Rodriguez Garcia was ordered removed from the U.S. in November 2018. But, federal prosecutors say, he reentered the country illegally at some point after that.
On March 30, as part of an ongoing drug trafficking investigation, law enforcement set up a controlled purchase of 65,000 fentanyl pills from a known drug trafficker. Days later, on April 2, prosecutors say Rodriguez Garcia arrived at the agreed-upon location for the drug purchase in Lawrence.
He was then arrested for immigration violations, Foley’s office said.
After his arrest, investigators searched a residence Rodriguez Garcia is accused of visiting immediately before the planned drug deal. During the search, investigators found approximately 64,390 fentanyl pills made to look like pharmaceutical pills. The pills had a net weight of more than 7 kilograms (15.4 pounds), Foley’s office said.
Prosecutors say the pills were packed in three separate vacuum-sealed plastic bags, which were found inside a large black duffel bag. The bag was discovered inside a front closet on the first floor of the residence.
A pair of latent prints taken from the plastic bags matched Rodriguez Garcia’s fingerprints, according to the statement.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute over 400 grams (14 ounces) of fentanyl carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.