More than 220 lbs. of suspected drugs were recently seized by a gang task force in Massachusetts in what's believed to be among the biggest-ever drug busts in a single location in New England, federal authorities said Monday.
The drugs, including fentanyl, methamphetamine and fake Adderall were allegedly seized last week from a house on Western Avenue in Lynn where children live. The 228 lbs. of drugs consisted of more than 10 million doses, with a street value of $8 million, officials said. Five guns and thousands of dollars in cash were also found.
"All told, there are more doses seized in this one house in Lynn than there are people in Massachusetts," acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy said at a news conference.
He spoke next to a 9.2-kilo bag of pink, heart-shaped pills that looked like Valentine's Day candies that tested positive for fentanyl. Levy, Massachusetts' top federal prosecutor, called the creation of candy-shaped pills "a very frightening development" in the drug trade that he hadn't seen before, and which locals should be aware of.
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"We have a ton of fake drugs out there. Now we have fentanyl that looks like candy circulating in our communities," Levy said.
The nation's top law enforcement officials weighed in on the bust on Monday as well.
"The only thing more depraved than trafficking deadly fentanyl is trafficking deadly fentanyl designed to look like candy to appeal to teenagers," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.
"Not only was this seizure one of the largest in the history of Massachusetts, but some of the pills were created to look like candy, potentially presenting an enormous risk to children," FBI Director Christopher Wray said in the statement.
He noted that the FBI said the bust was conducted by the North Shore Gang Task Force, one of 160 violent gang task forces nationwide that combine federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in an effort to combat violent crime.
"If you or a loved one are buying pills off the street … it might not be what you think it is," said Jodi Cohen, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Boston office, at the news conference.
Emilio Garcia, Sebastien Bejin and Deiby Felix face charges of drug possession with intent to distribute in connection with the Nov. 1 bust. Garcia and Bejin are also being charged with conspiracy, according to a complaint It wasn't immediately clear if they had attorneys who could speak to the charges.
All three are part of a large North Shore drug dealing network, and they're facing charges in state court as well, including in the death of a person in Salem that led investigators to the bust in Lynn, Levy said.
Garcia is believed to be the leader and organizer of the drug trafficking ring, officials said. He's previously been arrested for a number of violent and drug offenses, including drug possession with intent to sell.
Lynn Police Chief Christopher Reddy called the bust significant for the city, which "has been devastated by the opioid epidemic."
"To get this level of drugs off the streets will hopefully save that many more lives because we lose people every day to this problem," Reddy said.
Six people in Massachusetts die from opioids every day, Levy noted.
Asked why he thought the drugs were being produced in the shape of hearts — the drugs seized came in other shapes as well, according to images shared by law enforcement — Levy said that was part of the ongoing investigation, though it's possible it was an attempt to expand the market for the drugs or to disguise them while they're out on the street.
The three men charged will be at federal court on Monday, Nov. 13.
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