Santos Guerrero Morillo Gets 20 Years for Heroin Trafficking

CONCORD, N.H. — Santos Guerrero Morillo, 39, of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison for his role as the ringleader of a sprawling heroin trafficking network that poisoned communities across New England for over three years. The sentence, handed down in federal court, marks the end of a dogged pursuit that spanned continents and exposed the reach of international cartels into the heart of New England.

Court documents detail how, between May 2013 and October 2016, Guerrero Morillo commanded the New England cell of an international drug trafficking organization, operating out of Lawrence, Massachusetts. From that hub, his crew received multi-kilogram shipments of heroin, broke them down, and flooded the streets of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine with deadly doses. He managed at least ten co-conspirators tasked with storage, distribution, and laundering the blood money that flowed from the operation.

When heat from U.S. law enforcement intensified in August 2015, Guerrero Morillo didn’t stand and fight — he fled. He bolted to the Dominican Republic, thinking exile would shield him. But he kept calling the shots from abroad, directing his subordinates in Lawrence like a ghost in the machine. Federal agents didn’t forget. They pushed for extradition. Dominican authorities nabbed him in February 2018. Six months later, he was dragged back to the U.S. to face justice in the District of New Hampshire.

On January 22, 2019, Guerrero Morillo pleaded guilty to one count of heroin trafficking conspiracy, cutting short a trial but not escape. His guilty plea confirmed what investigators had long known: he wasn’t a foot soldier — he was the boss. The 240-month sentence reflects the severity of his crimes and the federal government’s determination to dismantle drug empires, no matter where their leaders hide.

“International narcotics traffickers seek to profit from the suffering of those who are addicted to heroin and other dangerous drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Scott W. Murray. “This case demonstrates the resolve of the law enforcement community in New Hampshire to hold drug traffickers accountable for the damage that they are causing in our state. We will not hesitate to reach into foreign countries, extradite drug traffickers, and bring them back to face justice.”

The investigation was a massive interagency effort led by the DEA and Homeland Security Investigations, with critical support from the Massachusetts State Police, New Hampshire State Police, and local departments in Haverhill, Manchester, Lawrence, Lowell, Methuen, and the Hillsborough County Drug Task Force. The U.S. Marshals Service tracked Guerrero Morillo across borders. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarad Hodes prosecuted the case, with former AUSA Donald Feith also contributing. Funded by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), the takedown sends a clear message: no trafficker is beyond reach.