Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
Three individuals from Lawrence and Methuen were charged on May 4 with offenses related to fentanyl distribution. Ales Mena, also known as “Shubill,” age 29, and Andy Mena, age 25, both of Lawrence, face charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Yeriel Torres Rodriguez, age 27, of Methuen, was separately charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. All three appeared in federal court in Boston for initial proceedings; detention hearings are scheduled for May 8.
The case is significant due to the alleged connections between narcotics trafficking activities and organized street gangs. According to charging documents, Ales Mena was identified as a high-level trafficker linked to the Trinitarios and Gangster Disciples gangs. Authorities allege that after traveling from Santo Domingo to Boston on Oct. 27 last year, his cell phones—seized at Logan Airport—contained conversations about narcotics trafficking and photographs appearing to show fentanyl.
Investigators said that on Oct. 31 a kilogram of fentanyl sent via UPS was seized following text communications between Ales Mena and a contact in Mexico. Between February and April this year, authorities allege that Ales Mena coordinated several sales through his cousin Andy Mena; two sales totaling 125 grams were made directly by Andy Mena to a confidential witness. On April 23 the defendants allegedly traveled together from Torres-Rodriguez’s residence for another sale at a car wash in Methuen where they sold one kilogram of suspected fentanyl.
A search of Torres-Rodriguez’s residence on May 5 reportedly uncovered partial kilo quantities of narcotics concealed within furniture compartments—including cocaine and fentanyl—as well as scales and equipment used for drug packaging.
If convicted, the defendants face up to twenty years in prison along with supervised release periods and fines up to $2 million under federal law guidelines.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the charges alongside officials from Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration New England Field Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division, Customs and Border Protection among others: “The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
This case is part of Operation Take Back America led by joint Department of Justice–Homeland Security task forces established under Executive Order 14159 aiming at eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts handles prosecutions involving national security threats as well as civil rights violations across all state regions through its offices including those at John Joseph Moakley United States Federal Courthouse according to the official website.
