A Dominican national residing in Manchester, New Hampshire, has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute. Miguel Angel Martinez Lugo, also known by aliases "Jesus Manuel Encarnacion" and "Jose Rosado Rabell," was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick. Following his prison term, Martinez Lugo will face five years of supervised release and is subject to deportation.
Martinez Lugo pleaded guilty in December 2024 to the charge of possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. The case dates back to April 4, 2024, when law enforcement observed a black Acura MDX registered under one of Martinez Lugo's aliases traveling alongside a Chevrolet pickup truck. Both vehicles were monitored as they parked on a street in Salem, Massachusetts.
Authorities witnessed two men, including Martinez Lugo, transferring a heavy-duty black plastic storage bin from the pickup truck to the Acura MDX. Upon further inspection, two additional bins were found inside the vehicle.
After making eye contact with law enforcement officers and quickly abandoning the vehicle, a search warrant was obtained for the Acura MDX. Inside, authorities discovered 70 kilograms of cocaine stored within three plastic bins along with three cellular phones.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's New England Field Division; Chief Lucas J. Miller of the Salem Police Department; and Chief Peter Marr of the Manchester N.H. Police Department. Assistance came from the United States Marshals and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane prosecuted the case.