A Dominican national residing in Massachusetts has been arrested and charged with his alleged role in a drug trafficking operation on the North Shore that trafficked fentanyl and methamphetamine supplied by the Sinaloa Cartel.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Justice, 33-year-old Leury Rosario was then charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and methamphetamine.
“The alleged discovery of this defendant’s hidden trap wall concealing a stockpile of narcotics and weapons lays bare the dangerous reality of drug trafficking today: fentanyl and methamphetamine are flooding our communities, protected by deadly firepower,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Drug traffickers are adapting, but so are we. This office, alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to dismantle these criminal networks piece by piece, ensuring those who peddle poison in our communities face the full force of justice.”
“Those who choose to distribute fentanyl, especially fake pills containing the drug, endanger their customers as well as the general public. Maintaining public safety requires that they be investigated and prosecuted aggressively,” said Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “We work closely each day with our law enforcement partners to target those who seek to profit from the sale of deadly substances.”
“The Massachusetts State Police has committed investigatory, intelligence and tactical resources in support of the DEA Strike Force, knowing that it could yield enormous results for the communities we serve,” said Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble. “This arrest, the second successful operation in as many weeks, is a culmination of a complex investigation by local, state and federal partners. Their results and the decision to prosecute these offenses reinforce our shared belief that criminal gangs, illegal guns and illicit drugs have no place in Massachusetts. We remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our communities.”
According to the criminal documents, an investigation into a DTO operating on Massachusetts’ North Shore began in January 2023, with an organization based in Sinaloa supplying fentanyl and methamphetamine. The inquiry purportedly identified Rosario as a Lawrence-based drug trafficker working for the DTO.
Immediately after Rosario’s arrest, search warrants were conducted at his principal residence and a suspected stash location in Lawrence, Massachusetts. The stash location allegedly masqueraded as a multiservice establishment, featuring an empty retail counter at the front. The back room purportedly housed two enormous casino-style poker tables and video poker machines. They allegedly over-served a high-end video surveillance system, which operated both on the first level and outside. According to court documents, the stash location’s basement storage room housed two big, secured storage boxes with equipment usually used in drug processing or production, including respirators, gloves, drug packing materials, scales, blenders, and other instruments.
Court records also detail the discovery of a small remote control with an extending antenna. When police enforcement used the remote control, an audio alarm went off, and a trap wall within the storage space opened, revealing a concealed closet that allegedly contained, among other things:
-Over 16 kilograms of counterfeit pills, in various colors and sizes, containing controlled substances;
-A brick-shaped object of a white powdery substance, weighing approximately one kilogram, that field tested positive for the presence of cocaine;
-Over two kilograms of suspected fentanyl pressed into 10-gram units, commonly referred to as “fingers” in retail drug trafficking;
-Over two kilograms of suspected fentanyl powder in large bags;
-Over 25 pounds of loose powders in various colors, believed to include cutting agents used with narcotics;
-A commercial pill press used to press counterfeit pills, including over 50 pill die casts with designs to counterfeit Percoet, Xanax, Adderall and others;
-Multiple kilogram presses, as well as branded stamps used to imprint logos onto kilograms of narcotics;
-One Glock Model 33 .357 caliber semiautomatic handgun loaded with six rounds of ammunition;
-One High Point .380 caliber semiautomatic handgun loaded with eight rounds of ammunition;
-One Ruger .380 caliber semiautomatic handgun loaded with six rounds of ammunition;
-Two Glock-style personally made firearms (also known as “ghost guns”) with no serial numbers loaded with 10 and nine rounds of ammunition respectively; and;
-One AR-15 style rifle with a .458 SOCOM caliber, loaded with eight rounds of ammunition.
The accusation of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and methamphetamine carries a penalty of at least 10 years to life in prison, at least five years to life on supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million. After serving any sentence, the criminal faces deportation. A federal district court judge imposes sentences based on the United States Sentencing Guidelines and the legislation that governs sentence determination in criminal cases.
U.S. Attorney Foley, DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Belleau, and MSP Colonel Noble delivered the announcement. The Natick, Newton, Waltham, Brookline, and Lawrence Police Departments gave valuable assistance. Charles Dell’Anno, an Assistant United States Attorney with the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit, is prosecuting the case.
This operation is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Strike Force Initiative, which calls for the formation of permanent multi-agency task force teams to work together in the same place. This co-located concept allows agents from several agencies to work together on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and international criminal organizations. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most powerful criminal organizations posing a threat to the United States.
