Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
A Southbridge resident has pleaded guilty to charges related to a cocaine trafficking conspiracy and unlawful possession of a machinegun, according to an announcement from federal authorities.
Miguel Lopez, 28, admitted in federal court to conspiring to possess and distribute cocaine, possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute, and unlawfully possessing a machine gun. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman set sentencing for March 11, 2026. Lopez was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2024.
Federal prosecutors said that between April 2023 and April 2024, Lopez worked with others to distribute cocaine shipped from Puerto Rico into Massachusetts. Authorities observed him collecting packages suspected of containing drugs on at least four occasions during that period. On January 29, 2024, law enforcement seized a package addressed to Lopez containing one kilogram of cocaine. In April 2024, investigators searched his residence and found about two kilograms of cocaine hidden inside a recently delivered package. They also recovered a Glock pistol equipped with a machinegun conversion device, ammunition, as well as both a 30-round magazine and a 50-round drum magazine.
If convicted on all counts, Lopez faces up to 20 years in prison for each drug charge—with at least three years of supervised release—and fines up to $1 million per count. The charge of unlawful possession of a machinegun carries up to ten years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and fines up to $250,000. Sentencing will be determined by the federal judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes.
"United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Nicholas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today." Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin Brown is prosecuting the case.
The prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159: Protecting the American People Against Invasion—a program that brings together multiple agencies across government levels to combat criminal cartels and transnational organizations operating within or outside the United States.
The HSTF focuses on crimes including human smuggling and child trafficking while coordinating efforts among agencies such as HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS alongside state and local partners; prosecutions are led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
