Source: US FBI
CONCORD – Eight defendants have been indicted in connection with drug trafficking organizations operating out of Massachusetts and distributing illegal narcotics in Manchester. One defendant was also in the United States following a previous deportation, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
On June 18, 2025, law enforcement arrested six of these defendants each on one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl, and one defendant was also charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
The following defendants have been indicted and arrested in connection with these charges:
- Ariel Lara Aguasviva, age 35, of South Attleboro, MA; and is in federal custody.
- Victor Manuel Mejia Guzman, age 49, of Methuen, MA; and is in federal custody.
- Jarlin Soto Jimenez, age 29, of Lynn, MA; and is in federal custody.
- Robert Alexis Pena Lara, age 25, of Providence, RI; and is in federal custody.
- Edwin Manuel Mejia Mejia, age 43, of Dorchester, MA; and is in federal custody.
- Carlo De Los Santos Ruiz, age 28, of Dorchester, MA; and is in federal custody.
According to the charging documents, between November 20, 2023 and May 7, 2025, the defendants knowingly and intentionally conspired to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl.
Additionally, according to the charging documents, Victor Manuel Mejia Guzman, a Dominican Republic national unlawfully residing in Methuen, was previously deported on November 19, 2007. Mejia-Guzman was charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Major Offender Task Force and the Manchester Police Department led the investigation. DEA New England, HSI New England, and the Boston, Attleboro, Methuen, Lynn, and Providence Police Departments provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Shannon and Heather Cherniske are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###