Massachusetts man accused of attempting to purchase and distribute 15 kilos of cocaine

BOSTON — A Massachusetts man was ordered detained pending trial in federal court in Boston on drug-related charges.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Justice, 47-year-old Jose Perez of Brockton faces a criminal complaint charging him with one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. He was arrested on June 11, 2025, and following an initial appearance and detention hearing, a federal judge ordered his detention until trial.

Court documents allege that in May 2025, Perez negotiated with undercover law enforcement to purchase 15 kilograms of cocaine. He reportedly agreed to meet on June 11, 2025, in Framingham for the transaction. That day, Perez was observed traveling from his Brockton residence to his autobody shop, JP Auto Body in Dorchester, then back to Brockton, before heading to the Framingham meeting location.

At the designated site, Perez allegedly removed $150,000 from a hidden compartment in his vehicle and handed it to undercover officers in exchange for 15 kilograms of sham cocaine. He then placed the fake drugs into the compartment before being taken into custody.

The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes.

The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. Assistance was provided by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Massachusetts State Police, and police departments in Boston, Framingham, Brockton, Bedford, Waltham, Braintree, Middleborough, Lynn, Lowell, and Revere. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case falls under Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative leveraging resources from Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood to combat illegal immigration, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime.

The details in the charging documents are allegations, and Perez is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.