United States Drug Enforcement Administration

CONCORD, N.H. – DEA New England Division Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle and United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced that Santos Guerrero Morillo, 39, of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison for his leadership role in a heroin trafficking conspiracy.

Documents filed with the court established that between May 2013 and October 2016, Guerrero Morillo was the leader of the New England cell of an international drug trafficking organization responsible for the distribution of heroin and other drugs in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. Guerrero Morillo’s cell operated out of Lawrence, Mass., where its members received multi-kilogram shipments of heroin and other drugs, broke the shipments down into smaller units and distributed them to regional sub-distributors. Guerrero Morillo managed at least ten co-conspirators with various roles related to the receipt, storage and sale of drugs and laundering of drug proceeds.

Court documents further established that in August of 2015, Guerrero Morillo fled Massachusetts for his native Dominican Republic to avoid arrest by U.S. law enforcement, but continued to direct his subordinates in Lawrence from afar. Federal authorities sought Guerrero Morillo’s extradition. Dominican officials arrested him in February of 2018 and extradited him in June of 2018 to face charges in the District of New Hampshire. Guerrero Morillo previously pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with heroin trafficking conspiracy on Jan. 22, 2019.

“New Hampshire is in the midst of a devastating opioid crisis,” said Special Agent in Charge Boyle. “The DEA will continue to use every resource available to identify those, like Mr. Morillo, who are contributing to the crisis. Today’s sentence not only holds Mr.Morillo accountable for his crimes, but serves as a warning to those traffickers who are fueling the opioid epidemic.”

“International narcotics traffickers seek to profit from the suffering of those who are addicted to heroin and other dangerous drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “This case demonstrates the resolve of the law enforcement community in New Hampshire to hold drug traffickers accountable for the damage that they are causing in our state. We will not hesitate to reach into foreign countries, extradite drug traffickers and bring them back to face justice.”          

This matter was investigated by the DEA; Homeland Security Investigations, the Massachusetts State Police, the Haverhill Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, the New Hampshire State Police, the Manchester Police Department, the Lawrence Police Department, the Lowell Police Department, the Methuen Police Department and the Hillsborough County Drug Task Force.

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