The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) announced Thursday the arrests of six individuals on drug trafficking charges, including two foreign nationals from the Dominican Republic.
The arrests followed a coordinated execution of two search warrants early Wednesday morning, according to Maine State Police spokesperson Shannon Moss. The operation resulted in the seizure of illegal drugs, firearms, and suspected drug proceeds.
The arrests include:
Adrian Batson (60) — Charged with Class B Unlawful Trafficking of Fentanyl; bail set at $50,000 cash.
Juancel Ledesma Pujols (20) of the Dominican Republic — Charged with Class A Aggravated Trafficking of Fentanyl, aggravated due to possession of a firearm during the offense; bail set at $50,000 cash.
Dioverys Roberto De La Rosa-Castillo (26) of the Dominican Republic — Charged with Class A Aggravated Trafficking of Fentanyl, also aggravated by firearm possession; bail set at $50,000 cash.
Bret Burke (55) of Addison — Charged with Class B Unlawful Trafficking of Fentanyl; bail set at $60,000 cash.
Michelle Wright (49) of Addison — Charged with Class A Aggravated Trafficking of Schedule W Drugs, aggravated by prior trafficking convictions; bail set at $50,000 cash.
Yiraldis De Los Santos Valenzuela (28) of Dorchester, Massachusetts — Charged with Class A Aggravated Trafficking of Fentanyl, aggravated by firearm possession; bail set at $50,000 cash.
The MDEA’s Down East Task Force, with assistance from the Maine State Police Tactical Team, executed search warrants simultaneously at 369 East Side Road and 870 East Side Road in Addison.
The warrants were the culmination of a months-long investigation involving undercover purchases of fentanyl and crack cocaine from both residences, according to Moss.
During the operation at 369 East Side Road, suspects De La Rosa-Castillo and Pujols attempted to flee through a rear window but were quickly apprehended by tactical officers.
The searches yielded over 150 grams of fentanyl, 20 grams of crack cocaine, three handguns, and more than $10,000 in suspected drug proceeds. The street value of the seized drugs is estimated at $22,000.
The operation received additional support from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol (USBP), Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Maine Warden Service.
It’s unclear from the MSP press release whether the Dominican Nationals apprehended as part of the investigation were present in the U.S. legally or have been handed over the federal immigration authorities.
