BOSTON — Two Lawrence men, including one accused of being a high level drug trafficker, and one Methuen man are facing charges related to the distribution of fentanyl.
Ales Mena, 29, and Andy Mena, 25, both of Lawrence were charged this week with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, according to the Department of Justice.
Yeriel Torres-Rodriguez, 27, of Methuen, was separately charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances in a related investigation.
Officials alleged in charging documents that Ales Mena, known as Shubill, is a “high-level narcotics trafficker” with ties to the Trinitarios and Gangster Disciples street gangs. Andy Mena is his cousin.
On Oct. 27, 2025, Ales Mena allegedly traveled from the Dominican Republic to Boston on a commercial aircraft with his girlfriend. The pair were sent to secondary inspection where agents seized cellphones allegedly belonging to Ales Mena, according to police.
The phones contained pictures of apparent fentanyl and messages related to drug trafficking, prosecutors allege. An affidavit filed in court by a Homeland Security agent provided more detail on the conversations.
In one recovered conversation the sender related that they were unhappy with narcotics they had received from someone listed in the phone as Rey 2 and sent a video of the package.
Rey 2 agreed to find them another kilogram of narcotics, the agent said.
In another conversation, with a different contact, the sender said they would like to buy 25 kilograms of cocaine at $11,600 per kilogram for $290,000. The seller countered with an offer of $11,800 per kilo and the other party agreed, the agent said.
From February to April, Ales Mena allegedly coordinated the sale of fentanyl with Andy Mena. One sale allegedly took place at a car wash in Methuen where the pair allegedly sold a kilogram of suspected fentanyl to a confidential witness, according to law enforcement.
During their investigation of Ales Mena, officials observed Torres-Rodriguez at a Methuen location believed to be used by Ales Mena, a Drug Enforcement Administration special agent said in an application for a search warrant.
At the time Torres-Rodriguez had an active drug case in Lawrence District Court.
In July 2024 Torres-Rodriguez was stopped while driving and officials seized around $200,000 in cash from his vehicle. Then in July of 2025 police in Indiana found a compartment containing $287,000 in cash in Torres-Rodriguez’s vehicle during a traffic stop.
During a May 5 search of Torres-Rodriguez’s residence, law enforcement found a concealed compartment in an end table containing a vacuum sealed package of a powder that tested positive for cocaine and a sealed half-brick of a grey substance that tested positive for fentanyl.
A detention hearing was scheduled for Friday.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $2 million.