United States Drug Enforcement Administration

CONCORD, N.H. - - Michael J. Ferguson Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England and United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced that Rigoberto Ramirez  Aldava, 40, of 345 Putnam Street, Apartment #1, Manchester, New Hampshire, appeared today before United States Magistrate Daniel Lynch and was arraigned on a criminal complaint which charges him with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 846 and distribution of controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1).

According to documents that were filed in United States District Court and statements in the court proceeding, Ramirez Aldava, a citizen of Mexico, operated El Patron Sports Bar and Grill, LLC, located at 253 Wilson Street, Manchester, New Hampshire. 

As part of the investigation, the United States Drug Enforcement (DEA) received information that Ramirez Aldava was in possession of multiple kilograms of methamphetamine. On June 21, 2016, an undercover DEA Task Force Officer met with Ramirez Aldava at a location in Manchester, where Ramirez Aldava provided the undercover officer with a sample of approximately 34 grams of methamphetamine. On June 29, 2016, the undercover officer met with Ramirez Aldava at the same location in Manchester and purchased approximately 372 grams of methamphetamine for $8,000. On July 11, 2016, Ramirez Aldava was arrested as he travelled to a pre-arranged location in Manchester where he intended to sell the undercover officer approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine for $85,000. Approximately 5.13 kilograms were recovered from Ramirez Aldava’s vehicle at the time of his arrest.  A search of El Patron Sports Bar and Grill resulted in the seizure of approximately 2.03 kilograms of methamphetamine. A second search at Ramiez Aldava’s Putnam Street apartment resulted in the seizure of $6,000 of the serialized DEA currency utilized in the June 29th drug sale.

DEA reports that in this area, one gram of methamphetamine typically sells for between $150 to $200 dollars, and in the Northeast, larger quantities of the drug can sell for as much as $50,000 to $60,000 per kilogram.

“Methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant that damages the central nervous system and can cause paranoia often associated with violent behavior,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson. “This record-setting seizure of methamphetamine in New Hampshire demonstrates DEA’s commitment to disrupt and dismantle Mexican drug trafficking organizations who have become the primary manufacturers and distributors of methamphetamine to cities throughout the United States.  DEA and its local, state and federal partners are committed to bringing to justice those that distribute this lethal drug.”
 
United States Attorney Rice said, “I want to thank the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Manchester and Nashua Police Departments for their work on this case.  The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to continue to target drug trafficking organizations which are responsible for the importation of large quantities of controlled substances into New Hampshire from source countries such as Mexico, and to bringing traffickers to justice.”