BOSTON – A Lawrence, Mass., man was sentenced yesterday for operating a clandestine drug laboratory that manufactured thousands of fentanyl and methamphetamine pills and for possessing firearms that furthered his drug trafficking operation. The defendant fled the United States shortly before his trial.
Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, 38, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 21 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. In May 2026, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances; one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and 400 grams or more of fentanyl; one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; and one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Rodriguez was arrested and charged in October 2024 along with co-defendants Ronald Odelyn Tejeda and Erick Pimentel-Cabrera. Tejeda fled the United States after pleading not guilty and is a fugitive from justice. Pimentel-Cabrera pleaded guilty and was sentenced in March 2026.
“Carlos Rodriguez ran a full-scale drug factory out of a residential basement, manufacturing thousands of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine and arming himself with dangerous firearms to protect his operation,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “He brazenly documented his crimes – posing with guns, stacks of cash and even filming himself alongside an operating pill press – and then fled the country rather than face justice. The defendant earned every day of this 21-year sentence. It reflects the extraordinary harm caused by flooding our communities with deadly drugs and the serious consequences for those who profit from doing so.”
“Counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, along with crystal methamphetamine, are deadly drugs that have no place in our communities,” said Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “This defendant chose to profit from trafficking these dangerous substances while possessing firearms to further his criminal activity. His attempt to flee to the Dominican Republic on the eve of trial demonstrates that he knew he had to answer for his actions. He ultimately pleaded guilty, and this sentence holds him accountable. The DEA and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue those who traffic these deadly drugs and put our communities at risk.”
For more than a year, Rodriguez operated a clandestine drug laboratory in the basement of a Lawrence residence that he leased from his father. There, he used pill presses to manufacture thousands of fentanyl and methamphetamine pills for distribution.
During an October 2024 search of Rodriguez’s residence, two electric pill presses, a kilogram press, and about 14 kilograms – or 30 pounds – of pills and powders containing controlled substances were seized. These included thousands of blue fentanyl pills made to resemble oxycodone and thousands more orange methamphetamine pills made to resemble Adderall. It also included more than four kilograms of pure crystal methamphetamine, additional kilograms of powder mixtures containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, and smaller amounts of heroin and cocaine. In addition, about 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl pills were seized from co-conspirator Tejeda during a series of controlled purchases leading up to the October 2024 search.
Three firearms – including two that had been reported stolen – as well as nearly $100,000 in cash were also recovered from Rodriguez’s residence. One of the firearms, a Glock pistol, held an extended magazine loaded with 26 rounds, some of which had hollow tips.
Rodriguez, who used the street name “Dex,” documented his drug operation on his smartphone. In one selfie-style video, Rodriguez wore a gas mask and displayed an AR-15-style rifle for the camera as a press stamped pills behind him. Another photograph showed Rodriguez posing inside the laboratory with two other firearms, including an Uzi with an obliterated serial number. His phone also contained other images and videos of pills, firearms and large stacks of cash.
Shortly before his April 2026 trial, Rodriguez fled the United States for the Dominican Republic. Rodriguez is a U.S. citizen. He was stopped by Dominican authorities as he tried to enter the country after having arrived on a flight from Mexico with a fraudulent Mexican passport and a fraudulent Mexican voter registration card. Authorities returned Rodriguez to Massachusetts two days later, and he pleaded guilty in May 2026.
U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley and DEA SAC Forget made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew A. Caffrey, III, Amanda Beck, and Annapurna Balakrishna prosecuted the case.
