Lawrence Heroin Trafficker: 4 Years In NH Prison, Deportation Set

CONCORD, NH — A Lawrence, Massachusetts, man who distributed heroin and fentanyl in Southern New Hampshire was sentenced to four years in prison this week. Miguel Arias Velasquez, 22, is set to be deported back to his home country of the Dominican Republic, according to New Hampshire U.S. Attorney Scott Murray.

"Those who choose to sell heroin or fentanyl in New Hampshire will be prosecuted aggressively," Murray said in a statement. "Those who seek to profit from the sale of these deadly drugs will be targeted for arrest, prosecution and sentencing. This case is a product of that cooperative effort by law enforcement."

New Hampshire State Police, Massachusetts State Police, Lawrence police, U.S. Marshals and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.

Arias-Velasquez was arrested in July 2017 after working for a Lawrence-based drug organization that distributed drugs to Southern New Hampshire, Murray said.

Last month, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions visited New Hampshire and announced Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge, a law enforcement program targeting opioid dealers in New Hampshire and nine other regions across the country."We are going to arrest, prosecute, and convict fentanyl dealers and we are going to put them in jail," Sessions said.

"Fentanyl is a deadly drug that continues to cause grave damage to the people of the Granite State," Murray added. "In order to protect the safety of our community, we will use every resource at our disposal to investigate and prosecute drug dealers who sell fentanyl in New Hampshire."

Previous:

• In NH, Jeff Sessions Announces Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge
• NH Fentanyl Trafficker Gets 10 Years In Prison
• NH Fentanyl Dealer Gets 5 Years In Prison, Faces Deportation
• Nashua Fentanyl Trafficker Pleads Guilty In Undercover Bust
• NH Fentanyl Dealer With Lawrence Stash Pleads Guilty

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