A notable drug bust in Lawrence has led to the arrest of 42-year-old Manuel Barroso, with authorities seizing a substantial cache of drugs and cash from his home. The Boston Globe reports that Barroso was charged after police discovered thousands of pills, a kilogram-sized brick of powder, and around $250,000 in cash during the operation yesterday.
In an aggressive move to actively combat the flow of narcotics, Barroso was taken into custody following a search warrant executed at his home at 20 Crestshire Drive. He now faces felony charges of trafficking over 200 grams of both fentanyl and methamphetamine, stemming from a police raid which found a pill press operation in a basement at a separate location on May 22, 2024. He pled not guilty and was ordered held without bail, with a detention hearing scheduled for July 10, 2024, as reported by The Eagle-Tribune.
According to the same source, the initial discovery was made at a basement apartment at 9 Salem St. Here, investigators stumbled upon several buckets of orange powder, a collection of pill bags, and the pill press. This led law enforcement to pursue Barroso, culminating in the additional charges likely to critically be laid upon him after the latest bust.
The investigation was a collaborative effort involving the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit (SPDU) for Essex County, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Lawrence Police Department. Barroso's defense attorney, Michael Downing, now holds the task of representing him through the judicial process that lies ahead. More information on this developing story can be found through local news reports from The Eagle-Tribune.
