Lawrence bust nets 770 grams of deadly fentanyl – Boston Herald

Attorney General Maura Healey is touting her Fentanyl Strike Force in connection with a drug trafficking bust in Lawrence that authorities say led to four arrests and the seizure of 770 grams of fentanyl.

Three men, Alex Martinez, 32; Jean Marte-Velazquez, 27; and Severino Perez-Guzman, 29; and a woman, Genesis Fernandez, 26, all of Lawrence, were charged with various counts of trafficking fentanyl and one count each of conspiracy to violate drug laws, according to press releases.

They were arraigned Wednesday in Lawrence District Court. Cash bail was set at $250,000 per individual, the attorney general’s office said in a press release. A probable cause hearing has been set for April 3.

The sting concluded a two-month investigation by state police assigned to the attorney general’s office, the Commonwealth Interstate Narcotics Reduction Enforcement Team and the Drug Enforcement Administration, which “identified runners, accomplices, and a possible stash house” at 10 Kempton Court in Lawrence, said Massachusetts State Police.

Officers conducting surveillance Tuesday evening saw a narcotics transaction and stopped the vehicle involved, arresting two suspects. A search warrant at 10 Kempton Court led to another suspect being placed under arrest, the seizure of approximately 750 grams of fentanyl, “several finger presses, and $1,060 in currency,” according to state police. A fourth suspect was arrested elsewhere, police said.

Ingesting as little as .25 mg of fentanyl can be fatal, according to the DEA. Fentanyl is said to be up to 50 times more powerful heroin, and 100 times more powerful than morphine.

Healey’s office said it secured a nearly $3 million federal grant last fall to support its Fentanyl Strike Force in disrupting drug and fentanyl trafficking in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.