A 26-year-old Lawrence man who prosecutors say trafficked fentanyl, cocaine, and firearms across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine while operating under the protection of the Trinitarios gang has pleaded guilty in federal court. Nilbel Ventura Amaro admitted to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, according to prosecutors, capping a case that also alleges he himself was kidnapped by members of the same gang he worked alongside.
Ventura Amaro, who went by the street names Nino, Megamind, Ben, and Migo, pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston, as reported by The Boston Globe. He was charged alongside four other members of what prosecutors described as a transnational criminal organization, part of a broader case that WMUR reported involved five people charged in connection with a gun and drug trafficking operation spanning New England.
Investigators seized fentanyl, cocaine, marijuana, and 94 firearms during the bust, per the station's report. Officials allege Ventura Amaro is affiliated with the Trinitarios gang, which operated in Maine, and prosecutors say he supplied fentanyl and cocaine to Mackenzie Bimpson, described by investigators as a large-scale drug and firearms dealer now serving a state prison sentence in New Hampshire after a 2024 drug conviction. Officials allege Bimpson led the trafficking operation.
A Kidnapping Inside the Gang's Own Ranks
According to New Bedford Guide, prosecutors alleged that Ventura Amaro and co-defendant Steve Perez supplied Bimpson and fellow distributor Michael Miller with drugs in exchange for cash and firearms, and that Ventura Amaro operated a drug trafficking network in Maine in coordination with the Trinitarios and under their protection. Bimpson and Miller served as the group's primary distributors, selling fentanyl and other drugs to customers in New Hampshire and Maine, WMUR reported.
Even as he worked within the gang's protection, Ventura Amaro was allegedly kidnapped by Trinitarios members in May 2024, per prosecutors cited by The Boston Globe. He was reportedly held in a basement for several days in New Hampshire and Maine before the ordeal ended. Two men accused in the kidnapping were arrested in June 2024 and are awaiting trial, according to prosecutors.
Investigators recovered numerous photos and videos of, and conversations between, the defendants documenting their drug and gun conspiracy, according to the same account from New Bedford Guide. Federal prosecutors said that evidence helped tie the network's members together across state lines.
Sentencing and Maximum Penalties
Ventura Amaro faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison if convicted as charged, per prosecutors. His sentencing has reportedly been set for January 6, per prosecutors cited by The Boston Globe, though that date has not been independently verified by other reporting reviewed for this story. Separately, the controlled-substances conspiracy charge to which he pleaded guilty carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million, according to New Bedford Guide.
The case fits into a wider pattern of federal action against the Trinitarios in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. A member of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios was sentenced to more than 11 years for racketeering conspiracy, and a leader of the Manchester, New Hampshire chapter was sentenced to 10 years in prison for racketeering charges, according to Justice Department announcements. Those cases follow a February 2025 investigation that led to federal RICO conspiracy charges against 22 leaders, members, and associates of the Lynn Chapter and its state leadership, per the Justice Department.
