Mexican drug cartel tracked cocaine into Massachusetts, man sentenced

BOSTON (WWLP) – A man was sentenced to prison for transporting cocaine into Massachusetts.

According to the Department of Justice in Boston, in March 2023, officers in Littleton, Mass. observed driving a car with a temporary Texas license plate that was drifting across a double yellow line. A traffic stop was conducted and police seized a duffle bag with 20 kilograms of cocaine found inside.

Upon investigation, a private tracking device was found installed in the vehicle by the Mexican drug cartel, Cártel del Noreste. The GPS tracking device revealed that the vehicle traveled at least 32 hours from Texas to Massachusetts.

The Mexican national, 39-year-old Erasmo Lira-Mendez , was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine (both offenses involving five kilograms or more). On Thursday, he was sentenced to 11 years in prison, followed by five years supervised release.

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