A Dominican national tied to a Methuen drug ring has admitted his role in funneling narcotics into New Hampshire’s Seacoast, federal prosecutors say.
Juan Carlos De Los Santos Romero, a Dominican national who previously lived in Massachusetts, pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and to distribution of methamphetamine, according to U.S. prosecutors. A federal judge has scheduled his sentencing for June 10, 2026. Prosecutors say De Los Santos Romero was part of a Methuen-based trafficking network accused of moving sizable quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl into New Hampshire’s Seacoast communities.
As reported by Boston 25 News, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan said in a statement that De Los Santos Romero admitted to the conspiracy and to distributing methamphetamine and that his sentencing has been set for June 10. Court documents cited by Boston 25 indicate the Methuen-based group carried out roughly 10 controlled purchases of fentanyl and methamphetamine with undercover officers in late 2023 and early 2024.
Prosecutors Say Others In The Ring Have Already Been Sentenced
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has already prosecuted multiple people tied to the same scheme. Eddy Mendez Carmona was sentenced in January to 28 months in federal prison, and two other co-defendants have pleaded guilty and been sentenced, the office says. “Fentanyl and methamphetamine are a scourge on our communities,” U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan said in a statement, per the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
How The Investigation Unfolded
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the probe and worked with Seabrook, Hampton and Portsmouth police as well as the Methuen Police Department to build the case, according to the DEA. The agency says Jose Luis Guerrero Nunez, identified as a leader in the Methuen-based organization, previously pleaded guilty after arranging undercover buys and being recorded promising future shipments, per the DEA.
Legal Details
The charging documents carry steep statutory penalties. The indictment notes a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and fines up to $1,000,000. Sentencing will rest with the federal judge and is guided by the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and what both sides present at the June hearing, per the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
De Los Santos Romero’s plea closes another chapter in a multiyear federal crackdown on trafficking into the Seacoast, but prosecutors say the broader investigation is ongoing and additional court dates could follow. As Boston 25 News reported, the case is one of several linked prosecutions aimed at stemming the flow of fentanyl and meth into New England communities.
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