BOSTON – In a major blow to the fentanyl trade, authorities have seized a massive 32 kilos of the deadly opioid worth a staggering $28.8 million in Massachusetts.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the seizure was made possible after a lengthy investigation into the activities of Angel Javier Morell-Oneill, a 33-year-old Dominican national residing in Methuen, Massachusetts.
Morell-Oneill was charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and his accomplice, Jose A. Rodriguez, 41, was charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute fentanyl.
The investigation, which began in June 2018, culminated with a traffic stop on Pleasant Valley Street in Methuen on October 22, 2018, during which officers seized two kilos of fentanyl from the front passenger seat of the vehicle Morell-Oneill was driving.
After seizing the drugs, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Morell-Oneill’s residence in Methuen where they allegedly seized approximately 30 kilos of fentanyl, drug distribution paraphernalia, and a loaded firearm.
Rodriguez was arrested when he arrived at Morell-Oneill’s residence to deliver $20,000, which was to be used to pay for half of the transportation costs of a narcotics shipment recently delivered to Morell-Oneill. The money was seized from a hidden compartment in a car driven by Rodriguez.
The charges against Morell-Oneill carry a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, a mandatory minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million. Rodriguez faces a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, a mandatory minimum of three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.
The investigation was a collaborative effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, the Massachusetts State Police, and several local police departments, including the Somerville, Medford, Boston, Ipswich, and Arlington Police Departments.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Ferguson of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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