Dominican Man Sentenced to 78 Months for Participation in Fentanyl Trafficking Conspiracy

            CONCORD – Luis Angel Polanco Huma, 24, a citizen of the Dominican Republic most recently residing in Lawrence, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for participating in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.

            According to court documents and statements made in court, Polanco Huma participated in a drug trafficking organization that was led by Sergio Martinez.  Martinez employed numerous individuals to sell fentanyl to customers from various New England states, including New Hampshire. Polanco Huma assisted Martinez with distribution of bags of fentanyl to distributors serving the Martinez phone banks. He then collected cash proceeds from the sales and delivered them to the leaders of the organization.  From June to December, 2017, Polanco Huma was primarily responsible for delivering all 200-gram bags for distributors, which investigators would prove totaled over 36 kilograms of fentanyl.  

            Polanco Huma previously pleaded guilty on August 14, 2019.  He will likely face deportation after he has served his sentence. 

            “Interstate fentanyl traffickers profit from peddling a deadly drug in New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Murray.  “Sales of their product have caused incalculable damage to communities throughout our state. The successful investigation and prosecution of the Martinez organization is an example of what can be achieved by law enforcement agencies working collaboratively across territorial and jurisdictional lines. Those who distribute fentanyl should be aware that these agencies are working together every day to dismantle their operations and bring them before the court to face justice.”

            “The state of New Hampshire is faced with an opioid crisis unlike ever before,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle.  “Those responsible for distributing lethal drugs like fentanyl to the citizens of New Hampshire need to be held accountable for their actions.  DEA will aggressively pursue Drug Trafficking Organizations and individuals who are coming from out of state to distribute this poison in order to profit and destroy people’s lives.  This investigation demonstrates the strength and continued commitment of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners.”

            The case was a collaborative investigation that involved the DEA; the New Hampshire State Police; the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office; the Nashua Police Department; the Massachusetts State Police; the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office; the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office; the Essex County District Attorney’s Office; the Internal Revenue Service; Homeland Security Investigations; United States Customs and Border Protection Boston Field Office; the United States Marshals Service; the United States Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; the Manchester Police Department; the Lisbon Police Department; the Littleton Police Department; the Seabrook Police Department; the Haverhill (MA) Police Department; the Methuen (MA) Police Department; the Lowell (MA) Police Department; and the Maine State Police.

            The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Georgiana L. MacDonald and Seth R. Aframe.

            This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

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