Man sentenced to prison for role in trafficking pounds of meth and fentanyl from Arizona to Massachusetts

BOSTON – A prominent figure in a major transnational criminal organization operating out of Southern Arizona received a federal prison sentence in Boston for his efforts to orchestrate drug smuggling into Massachusetts through prison phone conversations, all while already incarcerated on four life terms.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Justice, 50-year-old Noel Haro was handed a 188-month prison term by U.S. Senior District Judge William Young, which will run alongside his existing life sentences at a Massachusetts Department of Correction facility. The judge further mandated five years of supervised release following the sentence. Haro entered a guilty plea on March 11, 2025, to charges including one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 50 grams of methamphetamine and 40 grams of fentanyl; two counts of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, plus aiding and abetting; and one count of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, plus aiding and abetting. He faced indictment in April 2023 alongside his brother, Marcos Haro.”

Despite being confined behind bars, Noel Haro persisted in overseeing a global drug smuggling operation, flooding our neighborhoods with dangerous substances. This brazen conduct highlights the need for relentless pursuit in breaking down these networks from top to bottom,” stated U.S. Attorney Leah Foley. “Together with our partner agencies, we refuse to let correctional facilities become hubs for illicit enterprises. We’ll chase down all clues, decode every hidden communication, and ensure accountability for all involved.”

“Even with a lifetime behind bars, Noel Haro figured he had little left at stake, so he played his ‘Get out of Jail Free’ card to enlist aid in moving lethal fentanyl and methamphetamine nationwide—but this substantial sentence proves how mistaken he was,” remarked Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “Let this serve as a stark warning to those who believe they can brazenly break laws and run drug rings from prison: detection and consequences are inevitable.”

“The Department of Correction continues to prioritize protocols, security enhancements, and tech solutions to identify and prevent unlawful behavior,” noted Shawn Jenkins, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Correction. “This prosecution reinforces our dedication to eliminating crime within our walls and prosecuting those who jeopardize our facilities’ security and operations. I applaud the commitment of our DOC team and thank our state and federal collaborators for their essential contributions.

“As a key member and high-ranking leader of the “Border Brothers” syndicate—a vast international group notorious for narcotics, firearms, and human smuggling in Southern Arizona, with ties to Nogales, Mexico, and Arizona’s prisons—Noel Haro is fulfilling his life sentence in Massachusetts. This stems from Arizona convictions related to drug dealing, conspiracy, and money laundering. He was relocated from an Arizona prison to Massachusetts after being flagged as a risk due to his sway over fellow prisoners and ongoing smuggling of contraband like phones and drugs into Arizona institutions.

An probe into Haro’s activities kicked off around April 2019, focusing on his prison calls aimed at enabling drug shipments to Massachusetts. In these conversations, he enlisted relatives and associates to sustain his trafficking enterprise during his imprisonment and shuttle drugs from Arizona to Massachusetts under his direction.

In April 2022, Massachusetts DOC officials seized a letter from Haro to accomplice Denise Guyette, whom he had drawn into his network and linked with Arizona suppliers. Tucked in the envelope was a Monopoly “Get out of Jail Free” card bearing a handwritten code guide for covert drug discussions. Examples included “736” over “coke,” “747” over “meth,” “766” over “fety,” and “746” over “heroin.” After providing this code card, Haro urged Guyette to head to Arizona, connect with his sources, and ship narcotics back to Massachusetts for resale.

Haro also collaborated with his brother Marcos to set up external drug transactions. In June 2022, Marcos consented to provide samples of various drugs, such as fentanyl and methamphetamine, to a buyer. He subsequently mailed them hidden inside a purple stuffed bear via the postal service. On July 13, 2022, authorities recovered the parcel, which held fentanyl, five fentanyl tablets, methamphetamine, and about three grams of black tar heroin. During a monitored prison call on July 25, 2022, the Haro brothers negotiated selling one pound of methamphetamine to the same party for $5,000. Two days later, on July 27, 2022, another package from Marcos was intercepted, containing roughly 446.6 grams of 99% pure methamphetamine.

In an August 10, 2022, recorded call from prison, Noel Haro instructed his brother to organize a five-pound methamphetamine sale to the buyer. Subsequently, on September 12, 2022, two shipments from Marcos were seized, one with about 892.3 grams of 86% pure methamphetamine and the other with approximately 1,320.2 grams of 95% pure methamphetamine.

Guyette faced charges in a distinct case and received an 11-year prison sentence in April 2025 after admitting guilt to drug-related crimes. Marcos Haro pleaded guilty on March 19, 2025, with his sentencing set for July 17, 2025.The announcement came today from U.S. Attorney Foley, FBI SAC Docks, and MADOC Commissioner Jenkins. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea E. Porter and Charles Dell’Anno from the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit.

This matter falls under an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces initiative, which targets, interrupts, and breaks apart top-tier criminal groups endangering the U.S. through a prosecutor-guided, intelligence-based, collaborative agency strategy