Carlos Manuel Rodríguez sentenced to 21 years for operating drug lab

Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, a 38-year-old resident of Lawrence, Massachusetts, has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for operating a clandestine drug laboratory. The operation, which functioned for over a year in the basement of a home Rodríguez rented from his father, was used to manufacture thousands of pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine.

During an October 2024 raid, authorities seized approximately 14 kilograms of controlled substances, including blue fentanyl pills designed to mimic oxycodone and orange methamphetamine pills designed to mimic Adderall. Investigators also recovered more than four kilograms of crystalline methamphetamine, several firearms, and nearly $100,000 in cash.

Rodríguez pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy to distribute drugs, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, and possession of firearms to facilitate drug trafficking. In addition to his prison term, he must serve five years of supervised release. Two other individuals were involved in the operation: Erick Pimentel-Cabrera, who was previously convicted, and Ronald Odelyn Tejeda, who remains a fugitive after fleeing the country.