CONCORD, NH – Juan Ramon Soto Baez, 55, of Boston, is headed to federal prison for over eight years after being sentenced for running a large-scale drug trafficking ring that flooded New Hampshire with fentanyl and cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott handed down the 100-month sentence today, bringing a measure of justice to a conspiracy that fueled addiction and death in the Granite State.
Soto Baez pleaded guilty in February to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. He was one of 21 defendants initially charged in April 2023, and his conviction marks the 15th in the case so far. The operation, according to prosecutors, wasn’t some fly-by-night deal – it was a meticulously organized business, complete with dedicated “dispatch” phone lines for customers ordering their fix.
“The defendant led a major drug trafficking organization in our region, pumping deadly narcotics into our communities and profiting off of addiction,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack. “Today’s sentence ensures that he can no longer fuel the devastation caused by methamphetamine and fentanyl. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to disrupt these organizations and combat the spread of these narcotics before they claim more lives in the Granite State.”
The FBI, leading the investigation alongside the Drug Enforcement Administration, detailed how Soto Baez’s organization operated between September 2019 and April 2023, primarily targeting the city of Manchester. Agents documented nineteen separate instances of the defendant and his crew peddling fentanyl and cocaine. A raid on a residence linked to the conspiracy uncovered $15,000 in cash and detailed drug ledgers. A search of a vehicle used by the organization yielded a substantial haul: roughly 94 grams of fentanyl and 196 grams of cocaine, already packaged for street-level distribution.
“As the leader of a large-scale drug trafficking organization, Juan Ramon Soto Baez pumped poison into Granite State neighborhoods for over four years, trafficking fentanyl and cocaine from Massachusetts into New Hampshire at a time when the number of drug related deaths in the state was at an all-time high,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “This lengthy prison sentence removes this career criminal from the streets and highlights the FBI’s ongoing commitment to identify and disrupt those seeking to bring dangerous narcotics into our communities.”
The prosecution, handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Kennedy, falls under the umbrella of “Operation Take Back America,” a nationwide initiative aimed at dismantling transnational criminal organizations and stemming the flow of illegal drugs. This case underscores the federal government’s commitment to tackling the opioid crisis and holding accountable those who profit from the misery of others. The Manchester Police Department provided valuable assistance throughout the investigation.
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Key Facts
- State: New Hampshire
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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