Two 23-year-old Lawrence men are facing charges of trafficking 18 grams or more of fentanyl, distributing a Class A substance, and conspiracy to violate drug laws after Tewksbury police arrested them Tuesday outside an apartment complex on Archstone Avenue, recovering roughly 31 grams of suspected fentanyl in the process. Janel De La Cruz and Glencer Soto Cabral were taken into custody as part of a broader investigation into fentanyl and crack cocaine distribution in the area, and De La Cruz now also faces a federal immigration detainer on top of the criminal case.
According to Boston 25 News, detectives recovered approximately 31 grams of suspected fentanyl during the investigation, which focused on fentanyl and crack cocaine distribution in the area. Both men were charged with trafficking 18 grams or more of fentanyl, distributing a Class A substance, and conspiracy to violate drug laws. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a detainer on De La Cruz, and both defendants are scheduled for arraignment Wednesday in Lowell District Court.
Why Lowell Handles Tewksbury's Court Cases
Tewksbury has no district courthouse of its own, so cases originating there move through the Lowell Justice Center, which holds criminal jurisdiction over six Middlesex County communities, including Tewksbury, Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Lowell, and Tyngsborough, per the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office. That regional setup explains why Tuesday's arrest outside Archstone Avenue will play out in a Lowell courtroom rather than a local one.
The 31 grams allegedly recovered from the two men clears the statutory threshold that triggers Massachusetts' toughest drug trafficking penalties. Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 94C, Section 32E, trafficking 18 grams or more of a Class A substance like fentanyl carries a mandatory minimum of 3.5 years in state prison, with maximum penalties reaching up to 30 years, according to Riccio Law. Although the investigation involved crack cocaine distribution, the listed charges do not include crack cocaine trafficking.
ICE Detainer Raises Legal Questions
The detainer placed on De La Cruz adds an immigration enforcement layer to the case, but its legal reach is limited. Under the 2017 Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling in Lunn v. Commonwealth, an ICE detainer requests that local authorities delay release by up to 48 hours so ICE can take custody. Separately, Lunn permits advance notice of an intended release date but does not authorize Massachusetts court or jail officials to hold someone solely on a civil immigration request once their criminal grounds for detention expire, the Boston Bar Association notes. That precedent could create friction if bail is posted or the criminal case resolves before federal authorities act.
Other 2026 drug cases in the region included a September hotel room bust on Andover Street that yielded 25 grams of fentanyl and two arrests, while a separate case led to fentanyl trafficking charges against a 36-year-old Lawrence man following a fatal overdose investigation at a Main Street motel. That same month, Lawrence police and the DEA seized 1,225 grams of fentanyl during a vehicle pursuit on West Dalton Street, and in June, coordinated raids across Lawrence, Methuen, Haverhill, and Boston targeted a fentanyl pipeline tied to fatal overdoses across Essex and Suffolk counties.
Statewide Overdose Deaths Fall, But Fentanyl Persists
The Tewksbury arrests land amid broader signs of progress against the opioid crisis statewide. Preliminary data released in June by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the CDC showed opioid-related overdose deaths dropped below 1,000 in 2025 for the first time since 2013, a nearly 60 percent decline from the 2,364 fatal overdoses recorded at the 2022 peak.
Still, fentanyl remains present in the state's illicit drug supply. It was present in 83 percent of all opioid-related overdose deaths in Massachusetts in 2025, according to Boston Indicators.
De La Cruz and Soto Cabral are due in Lowell District Court on Wednesday, where their cases will proceed alongside the regional docket that serves Tewksbury and five other Middlesex County communities.
