An Auburn police dog with a serious nose for trouble just helped federal agents take a big bite out of an alleged Worcester-area drug trafficking operation, authorities say.
Auburn police reported that their K-9 team and detective bureau assisted in a multi-agency federal sweep that led to charges against 13 people tied to a regional narcotics investigation centered on Worcester. Prosecutors announced the case this week after investigators intercepted kilogram-level shipments of cocaine, along with fentanyl, methamphetamine and marijuana, and seized multiple firearms. According to the department, the K-9 flagged narcotics hidden inside parcels traveling through the mail.
Federal case and charges
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the 13 defendants were charged Wednesday with one count each of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. The federal complaint identifies Jack Saez Jr. as the alleged leader of the organization and says investigators seized more than 10 kilograms of cocaine that had been shipped from Puerto Rico to addresses in Worcester County. Prosecutors also allege the group distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Auburn’s role and the K-9 find
The Auburn Police Department shared photos from the operation and said its K-9 located narcotics concealed inside mailed parcels, helping to move the investigation forward. Detectives from the department also assisted federal partners in executing a search warrant tied to the case. The images posted show packages and what appear to be seized narcotics, although Auburn officials did not list a specific street address for the warrant location.
Seizures and local partners
Searches of multiple stash houses and residences in Massachusetts and Puerto Rico turned up distribution-level quantities of drugs and eight firearms, according to Patch. The outlet reports that the list of defendants includes several Worcester residents, along with people from Connecticut, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic…