40 kilos of Fentanyl seized in one of biggest busts in Massachusetts history

Thursday, February 8, members of the Boston Police Department Special Investigations Unit in collaboration with the DEA, FBI, MA State Police, Braintree Police Department, Randolph Police Department, and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office executed a warrant sweep as part of ongoing Operation High Hopes.

As a result of the six-month long investigation which began in July of 2017, and Thursday’s warrant sweep, the joint task force arrested a total of 37 target suspects and seized over 40 kilos of Fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin, two firearms, 6,500 pills of Fentanyl marked as another drug, and over a quarter of a million dollars. The suspects that were arrested over the course of the investigation included 43-year-old Edward Soto-Perez and 43-year-old Robert Contreras, both of Roxbury, who were deemed to be top level suppliers for national and international drug cartels, facilitating the distribution of dangerous and illegal drugs, including Fentanyl, in the Metro Boston area and along the North and South Shores. The scope of their operation extended up and down the east coast and was as far-reaching as California.

Said Boston Police Commissioner William Evans, “These arrests and seizures will have a tremendous impact on the quality of life in Boston and many other Massachusetts cities and towns. The individuals arrested are responsible for pumping dangerous drugs into our communities, while profiting on the vulnerability of those suffering from the disease of addiction. I commend the work of my detectives and all our law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly over the past six months of Operation High Hopes. These partnerships area a tremendous benefit to law enforcement and the communities we serve, as they provide the resources needed to conduct this type of large-scale operation and keep our cities safe and free from drugs.”