Dominican Drug Trafficking Organization Member Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Narcotics on the Seacoast
CONCORD, N.H. – A citizen of the Dominican Republic, who previously lived in Massachusetts, pleaded guilty today in federal court for drug trafficking in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Juan Carlos De Los Santos Romero, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and one count of distribution of methamphetamine. His sentencing has been set for June 10, 2026. According to court documents and statements made in court, De Los Santos Romero was a member of a Methuen-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that was distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the New Hampshire seacoast area. In late 2023 and early 2024, the DTO was involved in ten controlled purchases of fentanyl and methamphetamine with undercover law enforcement officers. Four co-conspirators, Jose Luis Guerrero Nunez, Carlos Alejandro Chevalier Santos, Eddy Mendez Carmona, and Luis Guerrero Cabral, have previously pleaded guilty.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The Seabrook Police Department, Hampton Police Department, Portsmouth Police Department, Methuen Police Department, and the New Hampshire State Police provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Vicinanzo is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
