Massachusetts gang bust Friday results in 79 guns, drugs seized, over 30 arrests

BOSTON – Thirty-two individuals have been charged with federal and state drug and gun charges. Seventy-nine guns, including assault weapons, have been removed from streets in the Greater Lawrence area.

Friday morning, over 70 federal, state and local law enforcement officers carried out the arrests of individuals alleged to have sold a large number of firearms and a variety of controlled substances, including fentanyl, heroin and cocaine. Eighteen of the 32 defendants are alleged to be members or associates of the Trinitarios street gang in Lawrence.

The following individuals were charged in U.S. District Court:

1. Arismendy Gil-Padilla, a/k/a “Flow,” 29, of Methuen, was charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, and distribution of and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl;

2. Jonathan Arias, 29, of Indianapolis, Ind., was charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition;

3. Emilio Rodriguez, 32, of Lynn, was charged with distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base;

4. Enrique Rosario, a/k/a “Kike”, 32, of Lawrence, was charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition;

5. John Harry Morales, a/k/a “Harry”, 33, of Lawrence, was charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition;

6. Jose Aponte, a/k/a “Kiko”, 33, of Lawrence, was charged with distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition;

7. Jose Omar Hernandez-Aragones, a/k/a “Omar,” 22, of Lawrence, was charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition and distribution of and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base;

8. Kevin Gomez, a/k/a “Monkey,” 31, of Haverhill, was charged with distribution of and possession with intent to distribute heroin, and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition;

9. Keysi Batista, 30, of Methuen, was charged with distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl;

10. Luis Ruiz Gonzalez, 27, of Lawrence, was charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; and

11. Yisthen Ynoa, a/k/a “Cantifla,” 34, of Lawrence, was charged with distribution of and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

The following 21 individuals were charged by the Essex County District Attorney’s Office with various state firearm and drug offenses:

1. Pedro Arias, 63, of Lawrence;

2. Jonathan Delgado, 35, of Lawrence;

3. Victor Diaz, 22, of Lawrence;

4. Luis Diaz-Brito, a/k/a “Blackie,” 22, of Lawrence;

5. Yolvie Diaz-Martinez, 22, of Salem;

6. Ulises Espinal, a/k/a “Ezequiel,” 34, of Methuen;

7. Robinson Gaston-Santana, 29, of Lawrence;

8. Francis Gotay, 29, of Haverhill;

9. J.M.[1];

10. J.R.2;

11. Jose Nunez, a/k/a “Oreja,” 24, of Methuen;

12. Anthony Nunez-Romano, 20, of Methuen;

13. Alexis Paredes, a/k/a “Cabeza,” 31, of Lawrence;

14. Kevin Perez-Lorenzo, 20, of Salem;

15. Guaril Poche-Brito, a/k/a ‘Chamakito,” 21, of Haverhill;

16. Kenneth Rodriguez, 31, of Lawrence;

17. Temistocles Santana, a/k/a “Omar,” 28, of Lawrence;

18. Jael Guillen-Perez, 20, of Haverhill;

19. Alan Acosta, 23, of Lawrence;

20. Abigail Arias, 20, of Lawrence; and

1. Eliezer Taveras, a/k/a “Bad Bunny,” 18, of Lawrence.

[1] These individuals are juveniles or were juveniles at the time they committed criminal offenses.

Depending on the drug quantity, the federal drug trafficking conspiracy and distribution charges provide a sentence of up to 20 years, 40 years, or life in prison; a minimum of three, four or five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release; and fines of $1 million, $5 million and $10 million. The federal firearms charges provide for sentences of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.

United States Attorney Andrew Lelling; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections; and Lawrence Police Chief Roy P. Vasque made the announcement today. The FBI’s North Shore Gang Task Force provided assistance with the investigation.