Four Boston-Area Men Arrested for Trafficking Tens of Thousands of Fentanyl Pills

Press Release

30,000 pressed fentanyl pills and 500 grams of fentanyl seized

BOSTON - Four Boston-area men have been arrested and charged in federal court in connection with a large-scale fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.

Anderson Ernesto Andujar Echavarria, 31, of Dorchester; Waner Bernabel Presinal, 37, of Dorchester; Carlos Fabal, 52, of Roxbury; and Freddy Artemio Guerrero Soto, 29, of Boston, were charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine. The defendants were arrested on Sept. 13, 2024 and, following initial appearances in federal court in Boston, were detained pending a hearing scheduled for Sept. 24, 2024.

According to court documents, in November 2023, law enforcement identified Andujar as a large-scale drug trafficker distributing various narcotics. Over the course of the investigation, Andujar allegedly distributed tens of thousands of press fentanyl tablets as well as powdered fentanyl, cocaine and crystal methamphetamine to undercover law enforcement.

"These arrests underscore our unwavering dedication to combating the fentanyl crisis that continues to devastate our communities. The sheer quantity of fentanyl these defendants allegedly distributed was enough to take tens of thousands of innocent lives," said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. "We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to disrupt the flow of these lethal drugs. We will not hesitate to use every resource at our disposal to hold them accountable and protect the public from this growing epidemic."

"DEA is committed to investigating and dismantling large-scale poly drug trafficking organizations like this one operating in the Boston area," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau, Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. "This organization is responsible for distributing fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine. Fentanyl alone is causing deaths in record numbers and DEA's top priority is to aggressively pursue anyone who distributes this poison. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative local, state and federal law enforcement efforts in Massachusetts and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney's Office to seek and bring to justice anyone who engages in these crimes."

According to court documents, Bernabel was identified as a co-conspirator who allegedly worked with Andujar to distribute fentanyl pills and Fabal was identified as an alleged fentanyl pill supplier to Andujar. Fabal was previously convicted in 2007 in federal court in Boston of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, for which he was sentenced to 67 months in prison and five years of supervised release.

During last week's arrests, 30,000 blue pressed fentanyl pills were seized along with and 500 grams of powder fentanyl from Andujar and Guerrero Soto. Additional suspected controlled substances, packaging materials and a money counter were also seized from the residences of Andujar, Bernabel and Fabal:

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances including fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and DEA Acting SAC Belleau made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

Updated September 17, 2024