Dominican Man Gets 9 Years for Heroin Conspiracy

CONCORD — Geraldo De La Cruz Cabral Pena, 45, of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced Thursday to 108 months in federal prison and slapped with a $30,000 fine for his central role in a sprawling heroin distribution conspiracy that flooded New England with multi-kilogram shipments of the deadly drug. U.S. Attorney Scott W. Murray announced the sentence, marking the end of a years-long international manhunt.

Court records reveal that from 2013 to 2016, Cabral Pena operated as a key facilitator in an international heroin network with direct ties to suppliers in Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico. Heroin was smuggled across the southern U.S. border from Mexico in bulk, then funneled through a trafficking pipeline running from Texas to Massachusetts. Upon arrival in Lawrence, Massachusetts, the drug was broken down and distributed to sub-distributors across New Hampshire and northern New England.

Cabral Pena didn’t just move the drugs — he moved the money. He orchestrated the collection of payments from regional drug crews using bulk cash smuggling operations, ensuring the profits from addiction and overdose flowed back through the chain. His actions helped sustain one of the most destructive heroin pipelines to hit the Granite State during the peak of the opioid crisis.

Arrested in the Dominican Republic in March 2018 at the request of U.S. authorities, Cabral Pena was extradited to the United States on August 16, 2018. He pleaded guilty on April 1, 2019, to one count of conspiring to distribute heroin. Upon completing his 9-year sentence, he will face likely removal back to the Dominican Republic.

“This case demonstrates the international scope of the heroin distribution network that has had such a damaging impact on New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “It also demonstrates that we will not hesitate to reach into foreign countries to extradite criminals who are responsible for shipping illegal drugs into the Granite State.”

DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle emphasized the agency’s ongoing war against opioid traffickers: “DEA is committed to investigating and bringing to justice Drug Trafficking Organizations and individuals like Mr. Cabral Pena who are responsible for distributing lethal drugs like heroin.” The investigation was led by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), with support from DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, and multiple state and local police departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John S. Davis prosecuted the case.

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