Feds, State Police Gang Task Force Take Down Trinitarios on Gun Charges

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All photos/video (c) Copyright Valley Patriot, Inc, 2019

LAWRENCE – In the early morning hours Friday, members of the Massachusetts State Police Gang Task Force, the FBI, Essex County Sheriffs Department and other federal agencies descended onto Lawrence picking up Trinitario gang members and others for trafficking guns throughout New England.

guns2Law enforcement officials set up a staging area in the city around 5AM Friday as officers and agents picked up gang members on warrants and returned them to the command center for processing.

There, suspects were fingerprinted and had their photos and DNA swabs taken.

The Valley Patriot was on hand to witness the take down of the deadly Trinitarios who have plagued the Lawrence area with violence, drugs, and guns in the last six years.

 

United States Attorney Andrew Lelling announced late Friday morning that 32 firearms & drug traffickers in the Greater Lawrence area were taken into custody as a result of “Operation Emerald Crush,”.

Lelling says that 79 guns have been taken off the streets as the result of the operation.

Eighteen of the 32 defendants are believed to be members of the Trinitarios street gang in Lawrence.

As a result of the operation, the following people were charged in federal court in Boston:

Operation Emerald Crush

Arismendy Gil-Padilla, a.k.a. Flow, 29, of Methuen, on charges of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, and distribution of and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

Jonathan Arias, 29, of Indianapolis, Indiana, on charges of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.

Emilio Rodriguez, 32, of Lynn, on charges of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base.

Enrique Rosario, 32, of Lawrence, was charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.

John Harry Morales, a.k.a. Harry, 33, of Lawrence, on charges of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.

Jose Aponte, a.k.a. Kiko, 33, of Lawrence, on charges of distribution of and possession of firearms and ammunition.

Jose Omar Hernandez-Aragones, a.k.a. Omar, 22, of Lawrence, on charges of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition and distribution of and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base.

Kevin Gomes, a.k.a. Monkey, 31, of Haverhill, on charges of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute heroin and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.

Keysi Batista, 30, of Methuen, on charges of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

Luis Ruiz Gonzalez, 27, of Lawrence, on charges of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, and distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

Yishen Ynoa, a.k.a. Cantifla, 34, of Lawrence, on charges of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

The following were charged with drug offenses in Essex District Court:

Pedro Arias, 63, of Lawrence;

Jonathan Delgado, 35, of Lawrence;

Victor Diaz, 22, of Lawrence;

Luis Diaz-Brito, a.k.a. Blackie, 22, of Lawrence;

Yolvie Diaz-Martinez, 22, of Salem;

Ulises Espina, a.k.a. Ezequiel, 34, of Methuen;

Robinson Gaston-Santana, 29, of Lawrence;

Francis Gotay, 29, of Haverhill;

Jose Nunez, a.k.a. Oreja, 24, of Methuen;

Anthony Nunez-Romano, 20, of Methuen;

Alexis Paredes, a.k.a. Cabzeza, 31, of Lawrence;

Kevin Perez-Lorenzo, 20, of Salem;

Guaril Poche-Brito, a.k.a. Chamkito, 21, of Haverhill;

Kenneth Rodriguez, 31, of Lawrence;

Temistocles Santana, a.k.a. Omar, 28, of Lawrence;

Jael Gullen-Perez, 20, of Haverhill;

Alan Acosta, 23, of Lawrence;

Abigail Arias, 20, of Lawrence;

Eliezer Tavares, a.k.a. Bad Bunny, 18, of Lawrence.

Depending on the drug quantity, the federal drug trafficking conspiracy and distribution charges provide a sentence of up to 20 years, 40 years, or life in prison; a minimum of three, four or five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release; and fines of $1 million, $5 million and $10  million. The federal firearms charges provide for sentences of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.

United States Attorney Andrew Lelling; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections; and Lawrence Police Chief Roy P. Vasque made the announcement today. The FBI’s North Shore Gang Task Force provided assistance with the investigation.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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