What began as a routine warrant check in a quiet Washington County town exploded into a hail of gunfire — and ended with three Massachusetts suspects behind bars and nearly 300 grams of cocaine seized, authorities said.
According to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, two of the alleged narcotics dealers had deportation orders that were ignored by police in Massachusetts.
“Both Gomez and Gonzalas have extensive criminal history out of Massachusetts as well as previous deportation orders,” the press release states.
It’s unclear how Gomez and Gonzales-Adame were able to remain in the country despite deportation orders and a lengthy criminal history.
However, Massachusetts is among the states with sanctuary policies that prevent law enforcement from communicating with federal immigration authorities when a suspect with a deportation order has been arrested. Under Massachusetts law, illegal immigrants with deportation orders are released into the community rather than being deported.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) has set the stage for Maine to adopt similar protections for illegal alien criminals with her support for LD 1971, a new law that will prevent Maine cops for cooperating or communicating with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in most cases.
Given the pitched debate over that sanctuary state police, the Steuben fentanyl shootout could become the first flashpoint in political debates over the wisdom of protecting illegal alien criminals from immigration authorities.
The imbroglio began Friday when deputies with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office were conducting proactive enforcement operations aimed at tracking down individuals with outstanding arrest warrants, the office said in a press release.
When they arrived at 71 Augusta Drive in Steuben, they began investigating potential probation violations and searching the premises.
The search ended with the arrests of six individuals, including three from Maine and three from Massachusetts.
Nena C. Willey, 37, and Corey A. Perry, both of Steuben, were arrested, along with Laura M. Anderson, 36, of Milbridge.
From the Massachusetts cohort, the arrested individuals include Freudi A. Ganzales-Adame, 24, Yeremi A. Baez, 18, and Erilyn Diaz Gomez, 22.
Baez and Gonzales, the illegal aliens, are believed to be Dominican nationals.
The arrests began when deputies observed suspected drug paraphernalia, prompting a probation search of Perry, who is on probation for prior criminal convictions, and his home, the sheriff’s office said.
Investigators developed probable cause to arrest Perry and Anderson for unlawful possession of scheduled drugs.
Both were transported to the Washington County Jail without incident.
As part of the ongoing investigation, deputies secured a search warrant for the property. While executing that warrant, deputies came under gunfire from four suspects — later identified as Gomez, Adame, Baez, and Willey — who had previously fled from the residence, officials said.
Deputies returned fire and ultimately located and safely took the four non-cooperative suspects into custody.
The sheriff’s press release does not mention any injuries.
Authorities said the suspects were found with 272.7 grams of cocaine, 4.3 grams of fentanyl and $1,373 in cash.
The newly charged individuals were identified as:
- Erlyn Yojunsel Diaz Gomez, 22, of Boston, charged with aggravated trafficking in a Schedule W drug, a Class A felony, and reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, a Class B felony.
- Freudi Angelo Gonzales Adame, 24, of Boston, charged with aggravated trafficking in a Schedule W drug and reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon.
- Yermi Alberto Baez, 18, of Boston, charged with aggravated trafficking in a Schedule W drug and reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon.
- Nena Willey, 37, of Steuben, charged with aggravated trafficking in a Schedule W drug and reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon. Willey also had outstanding warrants for violation of bail, unlawful furnishing and theft.
Per the press release:
“All four individuals were transported to the Washington County Jail. The incident is still under investigation and additional charges may be pending. All four suspects were arraigned on Monday February 23rd. Perry is being held on $10,000 cash bail with an additional probation hold. Willey is also being held on $10,000 cash bail with no bail allowed pending probation revocation. Gomez is being held on $50,000 cash bail along with Gonzalas and Baez also held on $50,000 cash bail. Both Gomez and Gonzalas have extensive criminal history out of Massachusetts as well as previous deportation orders. Anderson posted bail on February 21st.”
ICE did not respond to a request for more information about the status of the illegal aliens who were arrested in Steuben.
