Teen Arrested for Fentanyl Trafficking in Tewksbury, Faces Deportation
Tewksbury, MA — A teenager from Lynn is facing serious drug charges and possible deportation after police say he was caught with over 140 grams of fentanyl during a narcotics operation.
Dany Mejia Gomez, 18, a citizen of Honduras, was arrested on August 27, 2025, after an undercover drug buy led authorities to discover additional quantities of suspected fentanyl in his vehicle. The arrest was part of a joint investigation by the Tewksbury Police Narcotics Unit and the DEA’s Cross Border Initiative Task Force 4, under the wider “Sinaloa Surge Operation.”
An undercover officer arranged a drug buy through a Facebook account believed to be involved in fentanyl distribution. The exchange, involving 20 grams for $150, took place inside a bathroom on Main Street. After the deal, police took Mejia Gomez into custody.
A search of a Toyota Corolla linked to him turned up a large bag containing several smaller baggies, suspected to be fentanyl, along with $1,330 in cash (including marked buy money) and two iPhones—one on his person and another in the car. A field test yielded a presumptive positive result for fentanyl.
In total, police say they recovered 21.3 grams from the buy and another 121.1 grams from the car, amounting to more than 140 grams.
While in custody, Mejia Gomez allegedly admitted he was in the process of applying for U.S. citizenship, having entered the country as a child seeking asylum. Authorities confirmed that he lacked legal documentation, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) placed an immigration detainer against him.
According to Lowell District Court documents, the Department of Homeland Security cited probable cause that Mejia Gomez is subject to removal under federal immigration law. ICE has requested that he be held for up to 48 hours beyond his scheduled release.
Police emphasized that while they do not typically investigate immigration status, they may notify ICE in cases involving major felony crimes like drug trafficking.
Mejia Gomez is currently being held without bail at the Middlesex Jail & House of Correction in Billerica. He awaits court-appointed counsel, with his status hearing set for Tuesday, amid a shortage of bar advocates due to an ongoing protest over pay.
