Two men from Lawrence, Massachusetts, have been charged in connection with an alleged drug manufacturing operation following a law enforcement investigation. Authorities recovered over 18 kilograms of suspected controlled substances and a pill press during searches.
Jose Vasquez Lantigua, 47, and Manuel Santana-Soto, 35, both of Lawrence, were each charged with one count of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute and manufacture controlled substances. They also face one count of manufacture and possession of controlled substances with intent to manufacture and distribute. Both men were arrested on August 28, 2025, along with a third alleged co-conspirator, Joshua Morales. Morales was charged with federal drug offenses the following day and remains in federal custody. Lantigua and Santana-Soto remain in state custody pending their appearance in federal court in Boston.
According to charging documents, investigators observed Morales entering and leaving a known drug distribution site inside a third-floor apartment in Methuen before he was detained at another location in Lawrence. During the search of his vehicle, officers allegedly found 10,000 counterfeit Percocet pills believed to contain fentanyl.
A subsequent search of the Methuen residence revealed fresh footprints in powders suspected to be controlled substances leading down an interior staircase to a second-floor apartment where Lantigua and Santana-Soto were encountered. Officers allege that the two men wore flip flops matching the powdered footprints’ pattern. The documents state that they are believed to have fled from the third-floor unit into another tenant’s second-floor apartment prior to police entry.
Inside the third-floor apartment, law enforcement reportedly discovered an automated pill press along with multiple kilograms of counterfeit Adderall and Percocet pills believed to contain fentanyl and methamphetamine. Additional equipment such as cutting agents, blenders, scales, bowls and bags filled with suspected fentanyl or methamphetamine powders were also found.
The charges carry potential sentences of up to 20 years imprisonment per count as well as fines up to $1 million each. Sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge according to U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the charges alongside officials from several agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Boston Division; Massachusetts State Police; Methuen Police Department; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms; Drug Enforcement Administration; various District Attorney’s Offices; Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office; as well as local police departments from Lynn, Medford and Peabody. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative led by the Department of Justice aimed at countering illegal immigration impacts on crime networks while eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations through coordinated efforts across multiple agencies.
Authorities emphasize that all details contained within charging documents are allegations at this stage: “The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
