Three Dominican Nationals Arrested for Drug Conspiracy Involving Fentanyl and Crack Cocaine

BOSTON – Three Dominican nationals residing in Lawrence, Mass. were arrested on March 9, 2025, on drug trafficking charges.  

Juana Luduvina Aguasvivas, 66, Richard Arias-Aguasvivas, 38 and Ariel Ruiz, 31, have been charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. All three appeared in federal court in Boston on March 10, 2025.

According to the charging documents, in April 2021, an investigation began into a drug trafficking organization operating in Lawrence, that was supplying fentanyl, cocaine base and cutting agents to customers. Between April 2021 and November 2024, more than a dozen controlled purchases were conducted using confidential sources, during which it is alleged that Aguasvivas, Arias-Aguasvivas, or Ruiz sold more than 600 grams of fentanyl, more than 60 grams of cocaine base and copious amounts of cutting agents. Through recordings of the controlled purchases and surveillance, Aguasvivas, Arias-Aguasvivas and Ruiz were allegedly identified as the primary distributors for the DTO.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.  

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in charge for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the North Andover, Billerica, Haverhill, Methuen and Lowell Police Departments; the Essex County District Attorney’s Office; the Massachusetts State Police; the Internal Revenue Service and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annapurna Balakrishna of the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting this 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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