Three Haverhill men were among those arrested during a federal sweep Thursday. (File photograph)
Kadeem Pimentel, the 23-year-old Haverhill man who accidentally shot himself on Fountain Street in August has been arrested and charged in connection with a massive federal firearms and drug sweep that culminated Thursday with the arrest of more than 35 individuals from across the Merrimack Valley.
More than 200 federal law enforcement agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI, teamed up for the arrests and seizure of 10 kilograms of fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling said Thursday.
According to the Department of Justice, the arrests wrap up a series of federal investigations known as Operation Law and Order, aimed at picking up repeat offenders in and around Lawrence with prior convictions for acts of violence, firearms offenses or drug trafficking. Individuals with criminal records who are in the country illegally were also targeted.
Pimentel, who is already in state custody, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, along with possession of an unregistered sawed-off shotgun, officials said.
Two other city men were taken into custody as part of the sweep. Forty-seven-year-old Santo Eulogio Baez-Calbojal, also known as “Jamaican Freddy,” was arrested and charged with distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Roberto Estrada-Alfaro, 54, was arrested for failure to register as a sex offender.
Most of the individuals arrested hail from Lawrence, with a man from Methuen also facing drug-related charges. Anthony Gil Jimenez, a 23-year-old Dominican national residing in Andover, was taken into custody by ICE and will be processed administratively, Lelling’s office said.