A Boston man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy involving fentanyl and cocaine distribution in New Hampshire. Juan Ramon Soto Baez, 55, received a 100-month prison sentence from U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Soto Baez was charged alongside 20 other defendants in April 2023, with 15 convictions secured so far.
Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack commented on the case, stating, “The defendant led a major drug trafficking organization in our region, pumping deadly narcotics into our communities and profiting off of addiction.” He added that the sentence ensures Soto Baez can no longer contribute to the devastation caused by methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division, noted that Soto Baez’s activities spanned over four years, during which he trafficked fentanyl and cocaine from Massachusetts into New Hampshire. “This lengthy prison sentence removes this career criminal from the streets,” Docks said.
Court documents revealed that Soto Baez operated a Massachusetts-based drug trafficking organization distributing significant quantities of drugs primarily in Manchester, New Hampshire. The operation involved “dispatch” telephone lines for customers to order narcotics, with either Soto Baez or an associate fulfilling these orders.
Law enforcement recorded multiple instances of drug sales by Soto Baez and his associates between September 2019 and April 2023. On his arrest day, authorities seized $15,000 and drug ledgers from a related residence and found roughly 94 grams of fentanyl and 196 grams of cocaine packaged for distribution in a vehicle used by the organization.
The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Kennedy prosecuted the case.
This sentencing is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative aiming to combat illegal immigration and dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators.
