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Arrests, raids across Boston and South Shore today in crackdown on fentanyl gangs

A dozen people were arrested today as police in Boston, Swansea and Swampscott raided locations related to two groups that imported massive amounts of fentanyl and other drugs from Mexico for distribution in the Boston area, local and federal law-enforcement officials said today.

Among those arrested: Robert Contreras, 42, of Roxbury, whom Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley said was the leader of one of the two groups - and their alleged main contact with Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel. Another alleged kingpin, Edward Soto-Perez, 43, of Roxbury, was already behind bars - he was arrested as part of the investigation.

At a press conference today, Conley said that during the course of the investigation, police seized at least 33 pounds of fentanyl - good for several million doses - 13 pounds of cocaine, and 6,000 pills believed to be opioids and $81,000 in cash from locations across Boston and in Brockton, Lynn, Randolph and Wilmington.

During today's raids, police seized another 77 pounds of drugs today - much of it from "stash houses" in Dorchester and another $300,000 in cash, Conley said, adding investigators are still working to sort out how much of which type of drugs were taken.

We allege that the Contreras Organization worked with members of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world, who imported huge quantities of narcotics into the northeastern United States. In fact, we believe they were so high in the distribution structure that the next level up would take us outside the United States. Evidence suggests that the Contreras Organization would receive those cartel narcotics and distribute them to the Soto-Perez Group and others, who would in turn supply lower-level dealers.

Conley said investigators had had Soto-Perez in their sights for awhile, but had to obtain a rare-in-Massachusetts warrant for a wiretap to learn who was supplying him and his gang with the drugs they were selling, because Soto-Perez was:

Clever and extremely diligent in covering his tracks. He used couriers to make deliveries and take cash payments. He switched cars regularly to foil court-authorized GPS tracking. And he would make as many as five sudden turns in the span of a mile to spot police surveillance teams.

Conley added:

In the months that followed, the court extended the wiretap 11 times and approved interceptions on more than two dozen phones. Investigators doubled as codebreakers to reveal the criminal enterprise as it unfolded. In some calls, the defendants referred to drug shipments as "musicians" and to payments as "tickets" to the party. In others, they discussed purity levels by referring to a kilogram of cocaine as a "car" that could fit "three passengers" – a highly potent original product that could be quadrupled in retail weight with cutting agents.

The wiretaps, he said, ultimately led investigators to Contreras and his group - which would sell to Soto-Perez's group, which in turn would supply street-level dealers in the Boston area.

In addition to Dorchester, police also raided locations in Brighton, Hyde Park, Roxbury, West Roxbury, Swansea and Swampscott. Arrested along with Soto-Perez before today are Nelson Catala-Otero, 37, of Brockton and Julio Cuello, 52, of Dorchester. The three have been held in lieu of bail ranging from $100,000 to $250,000.

Innocent, etc.

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Comments

Avon Barksdale and Stringer Bell would be proud of this operation

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I miss the wire

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Were any of these guys working for any big pharmaceutical companies?

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licensees, or the members of the Sacker family (owners of Purdue Pharma).

Drug dealing is always okay if you're a wealthy or politically-connected white guy - in that case, you're just satisfying demand. But when a minority tries to get a cut of those profits, send out the cavalry.

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To compare fentanyl to pot is like comparing a knife to bazooka. A teaspoon of fentanyl can kill you via overdose very, very easily.

Now the Sacker/Oxy thing is an interesting comp but those drugs are regulated as dangerous by the pharmacy system, just poorly.

You also forgot to include Jim Koch in your list of bad guys - beer is more dangerous that pot.

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A teaspoon of fentanyl is like 2,000 lethal doses.

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THEY LIE ABOUT THE DRUG, SAYING ITS HERION, OR ITS A TINY BLUE A215 PILL. JUST DONT DO THEM!

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A TINY BLUE PILL THAT SAYS A215 IS FENTANYL, IT KILLED MY FRIEND

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But I'm not the only one.

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Oh, wait, I just accused you of thinking. Sorry 'bout that!

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About 72 percent of respondents were in higher education in a recent survey and 80% were gainfully employed,something you have clearly avoided.

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Isn't anything to tout!

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"And he would make as many as five sudden turns in the span of a mile to spot police surveillance teams."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6C8RVAhLcI

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That’s a lot of drugs.
By the way, referring to Swansea as the South Shore is like calling someone a southie. Southeastern Mass or if you prefer modern branding efforts the SouthCoast.
Anyway, hate to see both towns I’ve called home mentioned in the drug bust.

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Swampscott is North Shore
Lynn is North Shore
Wilmington is north-northwest of Boston.

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Unfortunately, I managed to leave out the fact that Braintree and Randolph police were both heavily involved in the investigation. My apologies for that.

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across Boston and South Shore

Where on the south shore?

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Which I managed to leave out, alas.

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On how many of these entrepreneurs have EBT cards.

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You're thinking this one

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...what demographic is causing these drugs to be in such high demand.

if that group just didn't need their fix; these dealers don't exist.

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