United States Drug Enforcement Administration

CONCORD, N.H. – A Dominican man was sentenced in federal court to 7 years in prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl to New Hampshire residents while operating from abroad, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.  

Starlin Alexander Valdez De Los Santos, 35, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante to 84 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release.  Valdez De Los Santos pleaded guilty on January 5, 2026, to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl. 

“This defendant believed that operating from abroad and communicating through encrypted platforms would place him beyond the reach of U.S. law enforcement, but this sentence demonstrates otherwise,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan.  “This outcome reflects sustained coordination between the DEA, our partners in the Dominican Republic, and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, whose work led to this defendant’s extradition and prosecution.”

“This case demonstrates that drug traffickers operating beyond our borders are not beyond the reach of U.S. law enforcement,” said Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, New England Field Division. “Those who choose to supply fentanyl into the United States, regardless of where they hide, should know that the DEA and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue them and hold them accountable. The fentanyl distributed by this defendant made its way into communities in New Hampshire, putting countless lives at risk. Every kilogram of fentanyl trafficked into our country has the potential to cause devastating loss, and we remain committed to dismantling the international criminal networks responsible for fueling this public safety crisis.”

“Fentanyl trafficking is a serious threat to the safety and well-being of our community,” said Chief David Cayot of the Hudson, New Hampshire Police Department. “This case reflects the effective partnership between the Hudson Police Department and our federal partners at the Drug Enforcement Administration. We remain committed to identifying and holding accountable those who distribute dangerous narcotics in Hudson.”

According to the charging documents, relevant pleadings, and statements made in court, during an August 2021 fentanyl overdose death investigation conducted by the Hudson Police Department, detectives collected evidence of the overdose victim’s phone communications with a source of narcotics supply that used a Facebook account and an encrypted messaging mobile app with a Dominican Republic-based phone number to advertise drugs for sale and coordinate drug transactions locally.  As a result, in July 2022, the DEA initiated an investigation into the user of these accounts.  The investigation ultimately showed that the defendant operated a significant drug distribution network that involved coordination of suppliers and local distributors over an extended period and utilized sophisticated communication methods to avoid detection, all while residing outside the United States.  The years-long investigation into the defendant’s activities resulted in the total seizure of more than 750 grams of fentanyl during eight undercover purchase operations in 2022, 2023, and 2024, and approximately 220 grams during additional undercover purchase operations in 2025. 

The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation.  The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the Hudson, New Hampshire Police Department, and the Massachusetts State Police provided valuable assistance.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar A. Vega is prosecuting the case. 

This effort 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.